Hugh Masekela Goes to the World Cup

Hugh Masekela and his son, Sal, together explore the people, culture, landscapes and history of South Africa.

Hugh Masekela, long past his football days. Image: Wiki Commons.

I, too, am in full World Cup frenzy. And while Puma gets Sean’s vote, I think I might have to go with ESPN on this one. Their 2010 World Cup coverage will feature “a 10-part series that offers an introspective look at the country of South Africa through the eyes of one of the host nation’s renowned ambassadors.” In “Umlando” (Zulu for “Through My Father’s Eyes”), the jazz music legend and antiapartheid activist Hugh Masekela and his American-born son, Selema, an ESPN reporter for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, will “explore together the people, culture and inspiring landscapes of South Africa, and the nation’s history.” Read more here, including a rundown of the episodes. It also gets serious: “… The series captures aspects of the elder Masekela’s life, from memories of his childhood and learning the traditions of his ancestors to offering his impressions of living in South Africa under draconian Apartheid laws.”

As for Hugh Masekela and football, there’s nothing. We do know that Hugh, in a music video, once fancied himself a sweeper of sorts.

Hugh and Sal also recently spoke with Jason Von Berg of South Africa’s Times Live about this project. Listen here. As Sal says, he and his dad are going on a road trip this summer, and they’re inviting us along.

UPDATE. Here are some clips: a visit to Mpumalanga Province, one of the most spectacular parts of South Africa, and one to Durban in Kwazulu-Natal, where they visited a school and talk HIV/AIDS with students.

Further Reading

On Safari

On our year-end publishing break, we reflect on how 2024’s contradictions reveal a fractured world grappling with inequality, digital activism, and the blurred lines between action and spectacle.

Rebuilding Algeria’s oceans

Grassroots activists and marine scientists in Algeria are building artificial reefs to restore biodiversity and sustain fishing communities, but scaling up requires more than passion—it needs institutional support and political will.

Ibaaku’s space race

Through Afro-futurist soundscapes blending tradition and innovation, Ibaaku’s new album, ‘Joola Jazz,’ reshapes Dakar’s cultural rhythm and challenges the legacy of Négritude.

An allegiance to abusers

This weekend, Chris Brown will perform two sold-out concerts in South Africa. His relationship to the country reveals the twisted dynamic between a black American artist with a track record of violence and a country happy to receive him.

Shell’s exit scam

Shell’s so-called divestment from Nigeria’s Niger Delta is a calculated move to evade accountability, leaving behind both environmental and economic devastation.

Africa’s sibling rivalry

Nigeria and South Africa have a fraught relationship marked by xenophobia, economic competition, and cultural exchange. The Nigerian Scam are joined by Khanya Mtshali to discuss the dynamics shaping these tensions on the AIAC podcast.

The price of power

Ghana’s election has brought another handover between the country’s two main parties. Yet behind the scenes lies a flawed system where wealth can buy political office.

Beats of defiance

From the streets of Khartoum to exile abroad, Sudanese hip-hop artists have turned music into a powerful tool for protest, resilience, and the preservation of collective memory.