Hugh Masekela
Hugh Masekela
Hugh Ramopolo Masekelais a South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, composer, and singer. He is the father of American television host Sal Masekela...
NationalitySouth African
ProfessionComposer
Date of Birth4 April 1939
thinking injustice form
I think it is incumbent on all human beings to oppose injustice in every form.
thinking musician statements
I don't think any musician ever thinks about making a statement. I think everybody goes into music loving it.
thinking squares people
I think that anybody from the 20th century, up to now, has to be aware that if it wasn't for Louis Armstrong, we'd all be wearing powdered wigs. I think that Louis Armstrong loosened the world, helped people to be able to say "Yeah," and to walk with a little dip in their hip. Before Louis Armstrong, the world was definitely square, just like Christopher Columbus thought.
thinking
I lived for music since I could think.
thinking people suffering
I don't think what I do is influenced by suffering. I come from a talented people who are prolific in music and dance.
came highways million people south
When I left South Africa there were 10 million people - when I came back there were more than 40 million. I had to learn how to get to the highways because when I left where there were no highways.
anybody business change controlled government power successful
I don't think anybody has ever been able to live up to what they promised. I don't know a government that has ever been successful at that because once they get into power, things change and the world is controlled also by business now.
african arts crafts create encourage explore group heritage history interested native number people performance spaces
I'm very interested in heritage restoration, and I'm working with a group of people to create a number of academies and performance spaces to encourage native arts and crafts and to explore African history.
african brought found life
I've got to where am in life not because of something I brought to the world but through something I found - the wealth of African culture.
beat children fast grew lived oppressor people time works
What people don't know about oppression is that the oppressor works much harder. You always grew up being told you were not smart enough or not fast enough, but we all lived from the time we were children to beat the system.
uprising way culture
I just came from South Africa, a place that had been in a perpetual uprising since 1653, so the uprising had become a way of life in our culture and we grew up with rallies and strikes and marches and boycotts.
years trying music-education
When I left South Africa in 1960 I was 20 years old. I wanted to try to get an education, and music education was not available for me in South Africa.
real views problem
In my view, Africa's real problems are cultural.
world geography
All my experiences removed geography from my world.