Born in Johannesburg in 1939, Hugh Masekela is widely considered both the father of African jazz and South Africa's musical ambassador to the world. Masekela's trumpet (introduced to him by anti-apartheid activist Father Trevor Huddleston) is an instrument of resistance, a call to freedom, and a celebration of the strength and resilience of people.

His powerful blend of jazz, funk, afro-beat, and Latin rhythms first mourned the tragedy of apartheid and then celebrated its long-awaited demise. Over the span of his life-long

career, he has released more than 30 albums, has toured the world-over, and has performed with artists including Louis Armstrong, Paul Simon (on the Graceland tour), Adrian Below, The Byrds, Miriam Makeba, Zimbabwean Dorothy Masuka, the Jazz Epistles, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Hedzoleh Soundz, Francis Fuster, and Dudu Pukwana.

When Masekela went into exile during the 1960s, Harry Belafonte helped him settle in the States as a student in New York (where he recorded much music including his 1968 hit Grazing in the Grass").

His 1987 hit "Bring Him Back Home" became the anthem for Nelson Mandela's world tour following his release from prison in 1992 and, today, Masekela once again lives in South.