Hugh Masekela - South African Music Legend and Grammy Winning Songwriter

HUGH MASEKELA
SOUTH AFRICAN MUSIC LEGEND AND GRAMMY WINNING SONGWRITER
Saturday, April 27, 8 pm
 
 
When: Saturday, April 27 at 8 p.m
 
Where: Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium, 10 Avenue of the Flags at Civic Center Drive in San Rafael, CA 94903
 
What: Grammy Award-winning music legend, trumpeter, composer and songwriter, HUGH MASEKELA,  is considered Africa´s most important jazz and world musician. His Grammy® award-winning hit “Grazing in the Grass” sold over four million copies and made him an international star while his Broadway smash musical Sarafina introduced the sounds and passion of South African music to theatre audiences worldwide. Now this great legend Rolling Stone applauds as being “one of the most thrilling live performers around,” stops at Marin Center for one night only.
 
Public Information: Tickets are $40, $30, $25, Students 20 and under $20, Bargain seats (rows 25-34) $20; and can be ordered through the Marin Center Box Office at 415-473-6800 or visit www.marincenter.org
 
Media Contact:
Hamilton Ink PR 415-381-8198
steph@hamiltoninkpr.com
 
San Rafael, CA (April 9, 2013) –Grammy Award-winning music legend, trumpeter, composer and songwriter, HUGH MASEKELA,  is considered Africa´s most important jazz and world musician. His Grammy® award-winning hit “Grazing in the Grass” sold over four million copies and made him an international star while his Broadway smash musical Sarafina introduced the sounds and passion of South African music to theatre audiences worldwide. Now this great legend Rolling Stone applauds as being “one of the most thrilling live performers around,” stops at Marin Center for one night only on SATURDAY,  April 27,  8 pm at the Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium, 10 Avenue of the Flags at Civic Center Drive in San Rafael, CA 94903. Tickets are $40, $30, $25, Students 20 and under $20, Bargain seats (rows 25-34) $20; and can be ordered through the Marin Center Box Office at 415-473-6800 or visit www.marincenter.org
 
HUGH MASEKELA  was born in the town of Witbank, South Africa in 1939. At the age of 14, the deeply respected advocator of equal rights in South Africa, Father Trevor Huddleston, provided Masekela with a trumpet and, soon after, the Huddleston Jazz Band was formed. Masekela honed his signature Afro-Jazz sound in the late 1950s and covered the globe playing with the world’s biggest names.  He’s written a number of international hits and sold several million CDs. His song Bring Him Back Home became the anthem for Nelson Mandala's world tour following his release from prison.
 
HUGH MASEKELA’S  solo career has spanned 5 decades, during which time he has released over 40 albums (and been featured on countless more) and has worked with such diverse artists as Harry Belafonte, Dizzy Gillespie, The Byrds, Fela Kuti, Marvin Gaye, Herb Alpert, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder and the late Miriam Makeba. 
 
Friends is the newest album by Hugh Masekela, featuring American pianist Larry Willis – a collaboration that serves as the long-awaited sequel to Almost Like Being in Jazz. Premiered in Cape Town at the Mahogony Room in April 2012, Friends is a four-album, 39-track boxset reworking of American jazz standards, released on Bra Hugh’s new record label, House of Masekela. Twenty-seven of the tracks are duets and 12 are with a full band. It was also launched at the Jazz Standard in New York in May 2012.
 
In 2010 he opened both the Kick off Concert and the opening ceremony of the World Cup in South Africa - a worldwide TV event. His touring schedule included major festivals and venues like Carnegie Hall, NY, the Royal Festival Hall in London and the Mela Festival in Oslo, where he performed in front of 80 000 people. 

In 2011 Masekela caused maximum surprise when he joined U2 on stage in one of the biggest concerts U2 ever played. More than 98 000 people celebrated Hugh Masekela in Johannesburg when Bono called him to join them on their hit I Still haven´t Found What I´m Looking For.  He was awarded by the Etnosur Festival in Spain and received the WOMEX 11 Award for Artists on 30 October in Copenhagen.

In 2012 MASEKELA performed at a concert for Her Majesty The Queen in Westminster Abbey, toured worldwide with his band, opened the WOMAD festival in the UK in its 30eth edition and joined Paul Simon on the Graceland Revival tour.

Considered a living legend, a genius musician and a great performer Hugh Masekela and his band fascinate their audience as they simply play contemporary South African music at its best.