Time to party for Bra Hugh
SOWETO: SEE STARS LIKE HOTSTIX MABUSE IN ACTION
Make it a family day as brand-new amphitheatre opens its doors.
Singer-songwriter, flugelhornist, composer, trumpeter and bandleader – these are just some of the words used to describe the legendary talents of the late South African musician Hugh Masekela.
So much more than just a mainstay on the local and international jazz scene, Masekela, who died in January 2018, was also a defiant political voice and a respected advocate for equal rights on the African continent.
He used his music to not only unite people but also let his messages of hope and equality resonate with his audiences.
To this end, Masekela (aka Bra Hugh) created the annual Hugh Masekela Heritage Festival.
“My biggest obsession is to show Africans and the world who the people of Africa really are, and this festival remains a great showcase of our traditional and modern musical talents. It’s always a great party,” Masekela once said of the event.
Festival organiser Mabusha Masekela says this year’s centrepiece is a specially curated presentation of Hugh’s six decade-long
musical output featuring the unique talents of Thandiswa Mazwai and Bra Hugh’s last touring band.
Together with the Hugh Masekela Band, Mazwai will be paying tribute to her friend and mentor, Hugh Masekela, with selections from his lesser-known repertoire.
“With a nod to the obvious impossibility of this proposition, the aim is to get a taste of Hugh’s variety, while still anchored in his roots. The combination promises to be inspirational,” added Mabusha Masekela.
In addition, the festival will feature Sjava, Sipho Hotstix Mabuse, Madala Kunene, Thabang Tabane, Bombshelter Beast, Sun Xa Experiment, Luma and the BaTswana dance ensemble New Moon. Speaking ahead of the event, Hotstix Mabuse said: “The Hugh Masekela Heritage Festival is a worthy celebration of the legacy of the iconic African giant, Bra Hugh.
“The boy is still doing it and grazing!”
This year’s festival will also signal the official inauguration of the brand-new Soweto Theatre’s
Amphitheatre.
As splendid as previous years, the festival will offer a family ambience with a children’s area, a variety of foods and drinks, as well as arts and crafts for sale.
Complementing this overall atmosphere, inside the Soweto Theatre will be the Hugh Masekela NO BORDERS Tribute Installation. The installation features memorabilia, records, recordings, trumpets and photographs of a life, loved and lived.