''No Borders'' is the forty-fourth and final studio album by South African jazz trumpeter
Hugh Masekela
Hugh Ramapolo Masekela (4 April 1939 – 23 January 2018) was a South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, singer and composer who was described as "the father of South African jazz". Masekela was known for his jazz compositions and f ...
.
The album was released on 11 November 2016 via Universal Music label.
Background
The album takes on a journey through the diverse culture, history, and politics of the African continent.
The image on the album sleeve is that of a map of Africa from 1590, long before the modern boundaries were drawn up. The message of this is deliberate and clear: the boundaries between African people are artificial and have been drawn up by the colonial powers.
The album is Masekela's first in almost five years, and it features an impressive list of guests, including Zimbabwean artist
Oliver Mtukudzi
Oliver "Tuku" Mtukudzi (22 September 1952 – 23 January 2019) was a Zimbabwe, Zimbabwean musician, businessman, philanthropist, Human rights activists, human rights activist and List of UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador f ...
in the song "Tapera" that talks about the devastating effects of HIV AIDS in Zimbabwe, and South African Kabomo Vilakazi and Congolese Tresor Riziki in "Congo Women" that is of rumba style, known in the Congolese music as sebene. For ''No Borders'' Masekela recorded a new version of his song "Been Such a Long Time Gone"; its lyrics express the feeling of coming back to Africa from his exile in US. "Makeba" is a tribute song to
Miriam Makeba
Zenzile Miriam Makeba ( , ; 4 March 1932 – 9 November 2008), nicknamed Mama Africa, was a South African singer, songwriter, actress, and civil rights activist. Associated with musical genres including African popular music, Afropop, ja ...
, who was his wife for two years. "In an Age" is the only song that Masekela recorded with his son, the American TV presenter Sal Masekela aka Alekesam (Masekela spelled backwards).
Reception
Robin Denselow
Robin Denselow is an English writer, journalist, and broadcaster.
Education
Denselow was educated at Leighton Park School, a boys' Quaker boarding independent school (now co-educational) in Reading, Berkshire, followed by New College, Oxford, wh ...
of ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' wrote: "South Africa’s most celebrated musician is 77 but still breaking down musical barriers with a set 'covering most of the international African world'. This is Hugh Masekela’s first album in five years, and the emphasis is on his powerful vocal work as much as his horn playing. There are reminders of his travels to Nigeria and meetings with
Fela Kuti
Fela Aníkúlápó Kútì (born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti; 15 October 1938 – 2 August 1997) was a Nigerians, Nigerian musician and political activist. He is regarded as the principal innovator of Afrobeat, a Nigerian music genre t ...
on Shango, his visits to Kinshasa with Congo Women, while the South African township jive includes a stirring reworking of The Rooster and the gutsy KwaZulu. At almost 80 minutes, it's a long and varied set."
Track listing
References
External links
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2016 albums
Hugh Masekela albums