Hugh Masekela says he's still a work in progress

Hugh Masekela is undoubtedly one of SA's most celebrated and loved artists. The legendary musician has received a lot recognition for his work. But it seems he has not let that get to his head.

Hugh, who was recently honoured at a lecture at the University of Johannesburg, told City Press: "I don't think it's about me. I think this is a vehicle that we are trying to mount, so that we can re-establish a presence of heritage in our lives," he said after close friend and musician Oliver Mtukudzi gave the keynote address.

Oliver said that each time he's met Hugh, his music, his status and accolades have grown. But his humility remains the same. He is still the same Hugh Masekela who wasn’t a star," the singer added. The two have known each other for more than 30 years.

City Press further reported that Hugh, who sits on the board of a number of charities, has brought attention to worthy causes over the years.

"As young children, at times we didn’t sleep in our beds because my parents would take in children who did not have homes. When we would complain, my mother would say we shouldn’t complain because we had a home to return to and they didn’t."

The singer told City Press that his biggest wish was that African heritage would not die and he hoped the lecture series would be one of the tools used to ensure this.

"One of the things that scares me is that Africans are losing their heritage. I don’t want the world to look at the African continent a few decades from now and say ‘this used to be Africa’."

*Picture: Elite