Hugh Masekela (born Witbank, April 4, 1939. Died Johannesburg, January 23, … Read Full Bio ↴Hugh Masekela (born Witbank, April 4, 1939. Died Johannesburg, January 23, 2018) was a South African flugelhorn and cornet player. In 1961, as part of the anti-apartheid campaign, he was exiled to the United States where he was befriended by Harry Belafonte. He has played primarily in jazz ensembles, with guest appearances on albums by The Byrds and Paul Simon. In 1987, he had a hit single with "Bring Him Back Home" which became an anthem for the movement to free Nelson Mandela. After apartheid ended, Masekela returned to South Africa where he now lives.

Hugh Masekela was an old collaborator of Abdullah Ibrahim. He is reported to have been initially inspired in his musical growth by Trevor Huddleston, a British priest working in the South African townships who financed Masekela's first trumpet. Masekela played his way through the vibrant Sophiatown scene with The Jazz Epistles and to Britain with King Kong, to find himself in New York in the early 1960s. He had hits in the United States with the pop jazz tunes "Up, Up and Away" and the number one smash "Grazin' in the Grass".

A renewed interest in his African roots led him to collaborate with West and Central African musicians, and finally to reconnect with South African players when he set up a mobile studio in Botswana, just over the South African border, in the 1980s. Here he re-absorbed and re-used mbaqanga strains, a style he has continued to use since his return to South Africa in the early 1990s.

In the 1980s, he toured with Paul Simon in support of Simon's then controversial, but highly critically acclaimed, album Graceland, which featured other South African artists such as Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Miriam Makeba, Ray Phiri, and other elements of the band Kalahari, which Masekela recorded with in the 1980s. He also collaborated in the musical development for the Broadway play, Sarafina! He previously recorded with the band Kalahari.

In 2003, he was featured in the documentary film Amandla!, about how the music of South Africa aided in the struggle against apartheid. In 2004, he released his autobiography, Grazin' in The Grass: The Musical Journey of Hugh Masekela, which thoughtfully details his struggles against apartheid in his homeland, as well as his personal struggles against alcohol addiction from the late 1970s through to the 1990s, a period when he migrated, in his personal recording career, to mbaqanga, jazz/funk, and the blending of South African sounds to an adult contemporary sound through two albums he recorded with Herb Alpert, and notable solo recordings, Techno-Bush (recorded in his studio in Botswana), Tomorrow (featuring the anthem "Bring Him Back Home"), Uptownship (a lush-sounding ode to American R and B), Beatin' Aroun' de Bush, Sixty, Time, and most recently, "Revival".

Essential recordings include:

* "Bring Him Back Home"
* "Coal Train (Stimela)"
* "Ziph'nkomo"
* "Don't Go Lose It Baby"
* "Ha Le Se Li De Khanna (The Dowry Song)"
* "Bajabule Bonka"
* "Grazing in the Grass"
* "U-Dwi"
* "The Joke of Life"
* "The Boy's Doin' It"
His song, "Soweto Blues", sung by his former wife, Miriam Makeba, mourns the carnage of the Soweto riots in 1976.

Hugh Masekela is the father of Sal Masekela, host of American channel E!'s Daily 10 show, along with Debbie Matenopoulos.

Fresh Air
Hugh Masekela Lyrics

We have lyrics for 'Fresh Air' by these artists:

Art Rush What you need is some fresh air A little moment to…
BGourd Man I hate being so serious Sometimes you gotta chill right?…
Bracket It's hard for me to read your mind I'm too afraid…
Brother Ali Ant check this out I'm the luckiest son of a bitch…
Callaway Martin Even when I go out I stay inside Even when I know…
Canned Heat and Quicksilver Messenger Service Oh, what you do to me, oh, what you do…
Catherine Let me slip away I am not afraid, of what awaits…
D.I.S.L. Automatic 僕を手招きする夜が始まり...終わる allurings of the dawn そして朝がくる色が変わるほどに君…
DAN.G What is he saying? I need fresh air Inhale, exhale, inhale, …

Dee-1 Just a breath of fresh air is all I need…
Elisa Some fresh air, to breathe in Take a chance, have a…
ENNOQ Look around you You see that clear running water, smell that…
French Montana 100 grand, rubber band A nigga low, a wanted man Sure you're…
Future Ostentação, palavra que eu gosto de ouvir Sayin' touch your …
I.D. Just a breath of fresh air is all I need…
iSeo & Dodosound I wanna dance, I wanna sing this song I wanna feel…
Joey Maxwell I know your sad but you can hide it with…
June Gloom You're candid camera and we're watching all day I keep on…
Killing Heidi No we don't know, no we don't know What went wrong I…
Lucky Dube I see people moving around They don know what they want They…
Maasho No, it ain't a waste of time I just really wanna…
Melii Melii, yeah Lo esperaba en la noche y lloraba en la…
Mr. Jello You can't change me But I'm willing to grow Tell me what…
QMS Oh, What you do to me Oh, What you do to…
Quicksilver Oh, what you do to me, oh, what you do…
Sloppy Meateaters The bottles freezing my ears are bleeding And I can't get…
Stay-C This is a story all about how My life got flipped,…
Swollen Members My name is, my name is And we made a…
The 4411 I've been own for so long, and my house has…
Tobe Nwigwe Aight Southwest Look, if yo' messiah ain't melanated, ya si…
Vanishing Act It doesn't bring happiness Only a change they all regret T…
Vice Squad They told us no future and that's what we've got It…
Zachary Hartman When I look at you I see Everything comes back to…
Zap Euphoria I respect your art but I think its shit I know…
Zayn You could be a changed man if you want You could…

We have lyrics for these tracks by Hugh Masekela:

African Secret Society African Secret Society By Hugh Masekela Kale as a young gir…
Afro Beat Blues ""Coming from the Congo Moving to Mabasa Eyes on Zanzabar Sa…
Ain Listen baby, ain't no mountain high, Ain't no valley low,…
Ashiko Ashiko, Ashiko Emura Emura Ashiko, Ashiko Aiye emura sise As…
Baby Baby Baby Everybody out here loves a winner Don't go lose it, baby Ev…
Bajabula Bonke Iyaho Hele Barena Helele barena vula Helele balala phandle …
Been Such a Long Time Gone Been such a long time gone I often try to remember…
Bring Him Back Home Bring back Nelson Mandela Bring him back home to Soweto I wa…
Cantelope Island My niggas stack their money just to spend it Cause when…
Change Everything must change (everything must change) Everything m…
Child Of The Earth Walking through the valley That is where I met my Love Walki…
Chileshe Hela Chileshe Ungabayeki bakubiz' ikirimani Nawe ngumuntu Uz…
Coal Train Stimela sihamba ngamalahle Sivel’ eDalagubhayi Sangilahla kw…
Coal Train (Live Version) There is a train that comes from Namibia and Malawi, There…
Colonial Man Cortez, he was a pirate Just like Christopher Columbus He li…
District Six Kudala silala emaweni wema Singena makhaya sijikelez' umhlab…
Don You don't know what love is 'Til you've learned the meaning…
Don'T Go Lose It Baby Everybody out here loves a winner Don't go lose it, baby Ev…
Don't Go Lose It Baby (Stretch mix) Yoakam Dwight Under The Covers Baby Don't Go (Sonny Bono) S…
Dont Go Lose It Baby Everybody out here loves a winner Don't go lose it, baby Ev…
Father of Our Nation Oh Mandela son of Africa Father of our Freedom Spirit of our…
For the Love of You You don't know what love is 'Til you've learned the meaning…
Gold Ndiyekeleni (let me be) Ndiyekeleni weMaxhosa (let me be) Nd…
Grazin Sure is mellow grazin' in the grass (grazin' in the…
Ha Le Se Le Li Khanna He le se le li khanna Hlokomela li sa welwe ke…
Ha Lese Le Di Khanna Ha lese le di khanna Nhlokomela di sa bwellwe ke serame Hel…
Happy Mama It's been a forty years and a day Since they came…
I Will Who knows that I have loved you Will know I love…
Ibala Lam Ibala lami elimnyama ngiyaziqenya ngalo Ibala lami elimnyama…
In the Market Place I see her floating lazily Through the market like a butterfl…
Keep Me Hangin Set me free why don't cha babe Get out my life…
Khauleza Khauleza khauleza khauleza mama khauleza Fihlan' amagokoko w…
Lady If you call my woman African woman no go gree She…
Lizzy Lizzy, Lizzy, Lizzy, Lizzy Akukho ntomb' engiyithandayo Kuth…
Mace And Grenades Mace and grenades, tear gas and napalm bombs Bazookas and ma…
Magic There is magic in the air When you are walking into…
Mama It's been a forty years and a day Since they came…
Mandela Bring back Nelson Mandela Bring him back home to Soweto I wa…
Market Place I see her floating lazily Through the market like a butterfl…
Ngena Sanibonani wemadoda hayi ngena ngena Sanibonani wemadoda haw…
No Woman No Cry (No woman no cry) Woman no cry (no woman no cry) Woman…
Old People Old Folks If you can see my grandpa, Dancing with my grandma Ooh, oh…
Ooo Baby Baby Ooh la, la, la, la. I did you wrong, my heart…
Rock With You I'm wanna rock with you All night Dance you with till the…
Rosie My Girl (Rosie my girl masthandane) sibemoya munye njengezingelosi (…
Sarafina! Sarafina, when you talk the way you talk My body temperature…
Sechaba Iyo, siyelele Mama! - u helele! x 4 *** SOTHO PART…
Send Me I wanna be there when the people start to turn…
Smoke You always pumping smoking to the air You always pumping smo…
Somebody Is Stealin' My Car I got robbed on my way to the station To report…
Sossie sossi rt h HV dhbjfgvy cfhjjkkgvdhshhd fgdnkdgkcjf xgdfnch, …
Steppin' Out Weekdays stepping out Into the light into the light you We …
Stimela Wangibamba kwamancane Wangibambel'eduze (Dudu sithandwa sami…
Stimela (Live) There is a train that comes from Namibia and Malawi there…
Talking Thoughts It was lonely in the ark We used to listen to…
Thanayi Los die deng wena Thanayi Ngithi los die deng wena Thanayi …
There Are Seeds To Sow Halalhe (wehuhu) Halalhe (wehuhu) Kulonyaka (kulonyaka asili…
Thuma Mina I wanna be there when the people start to turn…
To Get Ourselves Together I know you don't want me to go But I got…
Todii He todii (senzeni) What shall we (tingadii) Senzenjani (what…
Tonight Tonight tonight tonight I want to make you feel good I…
Up Would you like to ride in my beautiful balloon? Would you…
Vasco da Gama Vasco Da Gama He was no friend of mine Vasco Da Gama He…
We Are One We are one We are one This is a song of love…
Whitch Doctor Stanley got a letter from King Leopoldo Summoning Stanley to…
Witch Doctor Stanley got a letter from King Leopoldo Summoning Stanley, t…
You I left you Then I kissed you on my return I watched…
You Don You don't know what love is 'Til you've learned the meaning…
You Keep Me Hangin Set me free why don't cha babe Get out my life…

You'll Never Know You'll never know just how much I miss you You'll never…

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