Amoeba Music

Hugh Masekela is a South African composer, coronetist, flugelhornist, trumpeter and singer. Masekela describes his mix of South African music, swing and rock as “township bop.”

Hugh Rampolo Masekela was born April 04th, 1939 in Witbank, Johannesburg, South Africa. He began singing and playing piano as a child. At age 14, after seeing Kirk Douglas essentially play Bix Beiderbecke in Young Man with a Horn, he wanted to play the trumpet and was given one by Archbishop Trevor Huddleston. Huddleston asked The Johannesburg "Native" Municipal Brass Band's Uncle Sauda, to teach the youth the fundamentals. After quickly learning them, Masekela and other youths formed The Huddleston Jazz Band, South Africa's first youth... Read More

City Of Origin:

Witbank, South Africa

Genre:

World

Birthdate:

04/04/1939