24th Annual Student Research Conference
Hugh Masekela: The Influence of South African Music and the Apartheid
Caroline G. Haynes
Dr. Marc Rice, Faculty Mentor
Hugh Masekela recorded music with the rhythms and instruments of South Africas traditional music. The sounds of black South Africa are the heart of a people who, robbed of freedom and justice, maintained poise and struggle for freedom with the only resource they had: their spirit. An understanding of South African musical performance in the twentieth century demands an examination of its role in the dismantling of the apartheid system of government. Hugh Masekelas music became a symbol of protest during the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa. He spoke for people who were powerless to speak on their own. He put their daily struggles to music, giving them a voice and rhythm to help them endure. He publicized their plight. He was part of a global movement to bring Nelson Mandela home. His fusion of music from around the world became a voice of change in his home country.
Keywords: Hugh Masekela, South Africa, apartheid, music, protest
Topic(s):Interdisciplinary
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 37-5
Location: MG 1098
Time: 3:45