Hugh Masekela

Hugh Masekela was a South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, composer and singer known for blending American jazz with South African musical styles such as mbaqanga and township music. He spent many years in exile during the apartheid era and used his music to draw attention to social and political issues in South Africa. His playing is marked by lyrical, horn-driven melodies and rhythmic phrasing rooted in African traditions, and he maintained a long international career collaborating with a range of jazz and world music artists. He died in 2018.