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.
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.
Grazing In The Grass
Hugh Masekela Lyrics
Instrumental
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@anonymousposter6461
People still do! It's just not what the radio thinks is profitable, so you never hear it.
I lament that popular music has ceased to be about expression and is now just about consuming product. I can't stand that shit either.
For instance, I just came here from a band called Kokoroko! Their music is different from this, but has a lot of the same elements, including the horns/instrumental makeup.
I do want to say that I think you can express yourself just as much on a computer, especially now that theyre getting more and more sophisticated.
Just because the electronic music you've heard thus far is just a cash grab from a label company doesn't mean the entire instrument (yes, I believe it is one) is worthless. It just means you've only seen it in the hands of people who either don't know or don't care to find their way around the instrument.
If it"s not for you, that's fine, lol. But I, after 20 years spent learning classical piano, cannot make electronic music. I think that means its a valuable skill on its own, especially given all the behind the scenes audio mastering/adjustment that the consumer just won't notice. Such mastering has been a huge part of music recording since at least the 60s, surely these electronica elements aren't so new?
@mikezava3812
Met my wife to be on Perry Street in Blacksburg, Va., (Virginia Tech), to this song! We listened and danced in my apartment to this and many other wonderful 60’s music! 52 years married come this December! Love this !
@suebouchard8198
Oh my!! Amazing.. Great song,lucky you !!!♥️
@Pistol54Pete
Congrats !!
@bobbiejeannebarnes2095
Congratulations to you and your wife, lol just told MY 50 year old nephew the instrumental OF this song had lyrics to it and Had to show Him ,I remember that because of MY older brother and his girlfriend at the time dancing in the living room to this 😍😍😁and She ended up being MY older brother clydes wife and His only child 52 years old today and the girlfriend of MY brother then, His wife of 54 years now and needles to say, A sister to each one of our family members, We lived on the lake and the little beach area where we could buy saltwater taffy snowcones and the concession stand had music blasting to the sound of teens and children along with the parents and grandparents swimming and fishing, life was awesome music was amazing and everyone could escape the thought of the Vietnam war and not worry about children being gunned down in the fromt yard or while riding on the back of a pickup truck and convertible mustang and nice cool muscle cars 😁😁😎😎😎
@erikmartinez9329
That is so awesome
@brianboyle3998
Congratulations! Keep the good times going.
@MrIamnoone
This is one of those songs that play in the background in your head your entire life and you never get tired of it.
@eddyvideostar
To Brian Kilewer: AllState? Those insurance greys are groovy guys: Growing their product with greenback: getting gigs to mount up.
@lynneleeluckdowsing6654
So true. This has been my experience. Pure magic!!! theme song for childhood, adolescence, adulthood, now dotage.
@patriciawelch4656
A happy place