Hugh Masekela - Masekela 66-76

The Guardian 100

(Wrasse/Chisa Records)

When Hugh Masekela died in January this year, he was rightly revered as one of Africa’s finest musicians, a trumpeter and flugelhorn player, singer and songwriter who blended jazz with South African styles, and used his music to battle apartheid.

His early career was not easy, and this remarkable 47-track retrospective is taken from 11 varied and experimental albums, many of which were never released in the UK. It’s crammed with great music that was not commercially successful, either because it was too angry or simply too far ahead of its time.