Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com
Hugh Masekela
By
William Yaw Owusu
Accra, Wednesday September 26, 2012.
He comes across as a chap who is sociable, jovial
and bubbling with life but Hugh Masekela is serious about using music to
transform African societies.
The Grammy Award-winner has used
his music as a voice in the fight for issues of equality and justice in South
Africa in the past 40 years but this time around, he wants to refocus on how to
restore what he calls “Africa’s lost heritage.”
The
73-year old South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, composer, and singer wants Africans in responsible positions to lead a crusade against
westernization of the African culture.
In a hearty chat with Daily Guide before the Kasapreko African Legends Night at the Banquet Hall,
Accra, Masekela said “We have turned our backs on our heritage.”
“There is no society with so
much diversity internationally as African societies,” and added: “Television
and advertisements have come to convince us as Africans that our traditions are
heathen, barbaric and backward.
“We are the only society in the
world that feels ashamed of who we are.”
Masekela tries to trace the African
heritage and says “Our wealth and strength is in the bush and we should not be
ashamed of it.”
He faults African intellectuals
for leading all the people astray. “Our educators are from the bush but they
are taking us as far from the bush as possible…Africans by nature are farmers
and hunters and we should recognize them as such.”
Masekela believes that reviving
the can-do spirit of Africans would whip up enthusiasm. He wants governments to
set aside a day to commemorate what he calls “African Heritage Day”.
Quality production of
traditional performances including music and art would surely lead to
restoration of the African heritage, according to Masekela.
“We need venues for traditional
performances and if these are guaranteed we could make fantastic productions.”
The numerous languages are
getting extinct because Africans themselves have adopted western and other
foreign lifestyles. “It is amazing how we are losing our languages and nobody
seems to take notice!”
He wants academies set up purposely
for the learning of local languages.
Masekela is also not happy at
the rate at which technology is “killing” creativity in the music industry.
“Technology has come with a lot
of breakthroughs but it has as well affected us negatively and the music
industry cannot be left out.”
“Technology has compromised the
art and killed originality. It has completely decimated the music industry. We
don’t have people who are proficient anymore. It has killed the desire for
people to be artistically capable.
“When I grew up, there was only
one microphone on stage but today, everybody has a microphone. I don’t like to
criticise anything but I don’t find them artistic either.”
“It is a very strange world we are living in today.
I look at my grandchildren and have the feeling that in 20 years they might say
they used to be Africans long ago.”
He says music is “inborn” in
the African and must be credited for it.
“In South Africa, music to a
certain extent lost us a country. We used to give free concert to the people
who were attacking us. However we regain our country through singing.”
“Our music conscientised the
rest of the world about what was happening under apartheid.”
The septuagenarian shares a secret
about his healthy lifestyle, relating it to good living.
“I prefer locally prepared meal
and eat well. I check what I eat and I don’t entertain junk food,” and adds
“Besides, I do a lot of physical exercise to keep my body in shape.”
Masekela continues to maintain a very active tour
schedule, spreading his musical message of peace, harmony and unity throughout
the world. He can also be heard adding his distinctive voice and flugelhorn to
many other world artists' recordings - from some of Bob Marley's earliest recordings to Buena Vista Social Club
bassist Cachaito Lopez's 2001 solo record.
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