Hugh Masekela has died

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Hugh Ramopolo Masekela

Legendary musician and jazz trumpeter Hugh Masekela has died after a long battle with prostate cancer. He was 78.

In a statement, his family said he had “passed peacefully” in Johannesburg “after a protracted and courageous battle with prostate cancer”.

Hugh Masekela, a leading figure in the struggle to end apartheid in South Africa, gained global recognition with his distinctive Afro-Jazz sound and hits such as Soweto Blues.

The 1977 song became synonymous with the anti-apartheid movement.

Born in the South African town of Witbank in 1939, Masekela became known as father of South African jazz and had career spanning more than five decades.