South African jazz icon Hugh Masekela dies, aged 78

Trumpeter, composer and singer Hugh Masekela, affectionately known as the ‘father of South African jazz’, has died after a long battle with prostate cancer, domestic media reported on Tuesday. He was 78.

In a career spanning more than five decades, Masekela gained international recognition with his distinctive Afro-Jazz sound and hits such as Soweto Blues, which served as one of the sound-tracks to the anti-apartheid movement.

He opened the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup Kick-Off Concert and performed at the event’s opening ceremony in Johannesburg’s Soccer City stadium.

Masekela was scheduled to perform at the Dubai Opera in March.