Hardcover edition
| |
| Author | Hugh Masekela, D. Michael Cheers |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Autobiography |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
| Publisher | Crown Archetype |
Publication date | May 11, 2004 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print, e-book |
| Pages | 400 pages |
| ISBN | 978-0609609576 |
| OCLC | 53231987 |
Still Grazing: The Musical Journey of Hugh Masekela is an autobiography book by South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela.[1] It was released on May 11, 2004 by Crown Archetype.[2][3] The book was written together with D. Michael Cheers. In this book, Masekela tells a story of his forty-year career in the world of African jazz and his travels from South Africa to New York, then to Jamaica, and then back to his homeland.[4][5][6] The book is complemented by the album of the same name.
In America, South African trumpeter Masekela is most known for "Grazing in the Grass," which reached number one on U.S. pop charts in 1968. But in the almost 40 years since, Masekela has been a huge star in Europe and Africa, recording more than 40 albums and constantly touring. The first part of this lengthy autobiography—written with Ebony magazine editor Cheers—covers from Masekela's birth in 1939 to his flight to the U.S in 1960, offering a detailed look at life under the racist system of apartheid in which his trumpet became his "personal choice of weapon." The middle section is a virtual history of American music in the 1960s, from Masekela raising U.S interest in African music along with singer Miriam Makeba to his becoming friends with everyone from jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie (who introduced him to Miles Davis) to rock star David Crosby (who introduced him to LSD). The final section moves from Masekela's international adventures, including playing with Nigerian musician Fela and watching the Ali-Forman fight in Zaire to garnering critical praise in the late 1980s with his musical Sarafina and touring with Paul Simon in support of Simon's Graceland album.
