Johannesburg - News of the death of legendary jazz musician Bra Hugh Masekela has left many of those closest to him grieving.
DRUM reached out to South African musicians Yvonne Chaka Chaka and Chicco Twala, both old friends of Bra Hugh’s, about his passing.
Yvonne said she was too distraught to really speak to the team. “I just heard the news this morning, and I am not OK to talk”, she said. But Chicco gave insight into how the 78-year-old’s death has affected him. “I just heard 10 seconds ago, I’m really shocked and I didn’t even know his situation was that critical. I can’t believe that he has passed on. I last time I saw him was in 2017 and I haven’t spoken to him in a while as he has been sick.”
Chicco also said he’s glad he had the privilege of working with the Jazz musician before his death. “I’ll always remember him as someone who was creative in the studio. When he gets in the studio, anything he touches will definitely be good, you know.”
He also reminisced about Bra Hugh’s performances. “When he was performing live you’d swear you were watching a musical in a theatre, he was one of the musicians you’d pay money to watch.”
When asked if he had any words for the Masekela family, an emotional Chicco said he would like to send his condolences. “I’d like to send my condolences to his family. This is our journey and he’s left a legacy in the industry and I also think there are a lot of artists who will follow in his footsteps and they are going to learn a lot from what he’s done.”
