Maestro Hugh Masakela, Africa’s Jazz legend dies at 78.

Hugh Masekela, South Africa’s trumpeter, jazz artist and music legend, is dead. He died of prolonged prostrate cancer. He was aged 78.

In a statement, his family said ‘Father of South African jazz’ “passed peacefully” in Johannesburg “after a protracted and courageous battle with prostate cancer.”

They described him as “a loving father, brother, grandfather and friend” who would be “forever in our hearts.”

His death was announced on Twitter Tuesday by South Africa’s Minister of Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa.

“A baobab tree has fallen, the nation has lost a one of a kind musician with the passing of jazz legend, bra Hugh Masekela. We can safely say bra Hugh was one of the great architects of Afro-Jazz and he uplifted the soul of our nation through his timeless music,” Mthethwa tweeted.

Masekela was introduced to the trumpet in 1954 when he got it as a gift from another Jazz legend, Louis Armstrong.

His classic, Grazing In The Grass, topped the Billboard Hot 100.

He was the first African male Grammy nominee (1968). He won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the CHOMVA, Ghana Music Awards, Jazz FM Awards and MAMAs.

In June 2010, he performed at both the opening concert of the Fifa World Cup and the tournament’s opening ceremony in Soweto’s Soccer City with Femi Kuti.

Reacting to the legend’s passing, Femi Kuti posted a picture of both of them at the event and captioned it ‘Good memories RIP Mr. Hugh.’

Masekela was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer in 2008 and in the last months of his life campaigned that men should go for regular cancer check-ups.

He was also a music icon of the anti-Apartheid movement in his country.