Still Grazing: The Musical Journey of Hugh Masekela

by Hugh Masikela

Hugh Masekela is a prodigiously talented giant of jazz andworld music, and a pioneer in sharing the voice and spirit ofSouth Africa with the rest of the world, but his globetrotting taletranscends music.First published in the USA in 2004, this autobiography shareswith rich detail Masekela's life, infused with love and loss, sexand drugs, exile and revolution. He survived it all, with wit,passion, abundant talent and wisdom, and is now bringing hisstory back home!A new foreword and afterword to his autobiography will addfresh insights into the life of one of today's few living world-classartists and rare spirits. Still Grazing narrates a magical journeyaround the world in this epic, music-soaked tale of love, excess,exile and home.Masekela's life began in a South Africa haunted by violence, butredeemed by the consolations of family, music and adventure.As the grip of apartheid tightened, he was driven into exileand embarked on what would become a thirty-year pilgrimagearound the world. His first stop was New York City, where hewas adopted by legends such as Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis andHarry Belafonte. Masekela lived through some of the most vitaland colourful music scenes of our blowing with bebopgreats in New York, playing with a young Bob Marley in Jamaica,hanging out with Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone in the sixties, andgetting lost in the madness of Fela's Afropop explosion in Lagos.He loved extravagantly, including marrying Miriam Makeba,experimented wildly with drugs and alcohol, and stumbled intoadventure after adventure. And through the hit musical Sarafina(which he conceived with Mbongeni Ngema), the Gracelandtour he spearheaded with Paul Simon, and his fearless on-the groundactivism, he worked tirelessly to add his voice to the antiapartheidmovement. When he eventually returned to SouthAfrica, he at last found the strength to confront the personaldemons that had tracked him around the world, and attained anew measure of peace at home.

470 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 1, 2015

Reviews

[Makgatla Thepa-Lephale · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book on the 09th of June, on my birthday as a birthday gift. I started reading it on that day and today I finished it. This is one of the most thrilling, fascinating and honest book I have ever read. I concur with a friend when he said it can make a great movie. I am a huge fan of Hugh Masekela, my heart was torn when he passed on. I love his music so much. I always knew his life was interesting but this book gives a a true version of who Ramapolo Hugh Masekela was. He was not afraid to even give a sordid details of his life. The honesty in which he speaks about his grandmother Johanna. He speaks fondly about her while he let us in to her other side of being a Shebeen Queen who did everything under tough circumstances to make ends meet to raise her children. The close bond Hugh Masekela shared with his sister Barbra is detailed in this book, it's even evident at how Masekela make mention of Mabusha Masekela at almost every page of the book. He practicaly raised him and moved everywhere with him. What interested me more was his relationship with Mama Merriam Makeba. The admiration and love he had for Mama Makeba is detailed but also the toxicity that dominated their relationship where both of them had to deal with their side relationships while together. Mokwena is not afraid to speak about his sex escapedes, his battle with substance abuse and alcohol abuse, that led to him being broke many times. This is a tell all book. If there is anything I learnt from it, is that we are all human and somehow we are all flawed and each of us has got demons to battle off. What I love is his beautiful musical journey that nurtured the short musical life of the talented Moses Taiwa Molelekwa, who perished this earth so prematurely. Moila lehlaka is not only narrating his musical journey in this book, he is also depicting the gruesome picture of the diabolic system of apartheid the impact it had on his colorful life. It's no shocker that he wa s friends with Fela Kuti, they both had colorful lives of non conformity. If it's anything to go by, they are Co Presidents of Non Conformers and defiers of normality in the world. Oh, his beautiful wedding to Jabu Mbatha in the middle of US. Gaby Magomola explained it better during Hugh Masekela's memorial service. How his delegates of magadi negotiations recited his Batlokwa praises to the amazement of US passersby and onlookers. Hugh Masekela had a larger than life personality, he loved life, laughter and good times. I am happy he managed to turn his life for the better before he exited this world, even found love. I would not recommend this book to people who love to judge others because this book is raw and full of foul language. Reading it, is like sitting under a shade with your friend not giving a Phuck about life and its troubles. There is too much F word and too explicit details. One minute is like you are in Hillbrow when reading it then the next you are in some brothel in the middle of Nowhere City. The next is like you are in Lusaka running after tear gasses. Then there is the beautiful side where it's like you are in Moretele park attending some jazz festival where Ramapolo is blowing his horn. What a book. The book also clarifies the narrative that Hugh Masekela was born in Botlokwa, Ramapolo ke Motlokwa yes, given that his ancestral roots are from there but he was not born there. P. S. this book should not be read by children under the age of 18 given unless there is PG because there is lot of NSL in it.