Father of South African Jazz Hugh Masekela Dies Aged 78

Father of South African Jazz Hugh Masekela Dies Aged 78
South African musician Hugh Masekela plays a trumpet at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans, Louisiana April 26, 2009. Reuters/Lee Celano
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JOHANNESBURG—Trumpeter and singer Hugh Masekela, known as the “father of South African jazz” who used his music in the fight against apartheid, has died from prostate cancer, his family said on Tuesday. He was 78.

In a career spanning more than five decades, Masekela gained international recognition with his distinctive Afro-Jazz sound and hits such as “Soweto Blues”, which served as one of the soundtracks to the anti-apartheid movement.