Hugh Masekela - Grandmaster of African Jazz
He has a worldwide fan base, and is widely acknowledged as the grand-master of African jazz. Now, Grammy Award winner Hugh Masekela is adding his voice to the campaign to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS and other social issues in his native South Africa and the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa. Recently, he was in London at the invitation of international volunteer agency VSO, where he performed to a packed Royal Albert Hall audience made up of people from different ethnic background. While in London, he granted just one press interview – to Mambo. Editor Joseph Ochieng asked the questions.
MAMBO: What made you decide to join the campaign against HIV/AIDS?
MASEKELA: Up and down the African continent, the disease is causing a lot of pain to individuals and whole communities. Personally, I have been affected: My youngest daughter died of AIDS. I’m just doing my bit to keep the problem in the public agenda. I believe, however, that the real message about HIV has to come from the top – from our political leaders. Unfortunately, our leaders are not doing as much as they could be. Which is a pity, as many of them have also been affected.
MAMBO: Why are they not doing enough?
MASEKELA: I think many of them do not give AIDS the priority it deserves. Others fear that if they highlight the problem, tourists will stop visiting their country. But, what is more important – tourist dollars or the health of the people? There are some leaders who, instead of behaving responsibly and showing a good example to the young people who look up to them, go on to do the very things that increase risk to themselves and to other people. And then there are other leaders – including those who have been personally affected - who cannot bring themselves to talk about AIDS because of the fear of stigma.
MAMBO: How can Africans tackle the issue of stigma?
MASEKELA: Tackling stigma should be the work of everybody – politicians, health workers, teachers, people living with HIV – everybody. People need to stop thinking that HIV means death! Look at malaria. Every year, millions of Africans die from it, but we do not feel stigmatised when we talk about malaria. When we contract malaria, we rush to the doctor and demand treatment; and we do not discriminate against people who have malaria. I think the stigma associated with HIV has to do with the perception that it is an infection mainly driven by lifestyle choices - personal desires, sex, drugs or alcohol.
MAMBO: If politicians not taking a leading role in AIDS education, should artists like you not take up that role?
MASEKELA: As artists, we do have a wide audience – and influence - but there is a limit to how much change we can achieve on the ground. Besides, many of the young artists today appear to be more interested in material things - Western lifestyle and the bling culture -than in drawing attention to the many social issues in their society. Only a few of them appreciate the value in preserving their African culture, which in the past laid down clear rules about what people should and shouldn’t be doing with their sex life - which is why I am dedicating the next 15 years, if I am alive, to building a truly African musical industry.
MAMBO: Tell us about the ‘Each One Reach Five’ campaign, of which you are an active promoter
MASEKELA: ‘Each One Reach Five’ is a campaign in South Africa to get more people to take the HIV test. It encourages one person to volunteer to take the test, and then the person gets five other people to test; each of the five in turn gets five more people to volunteer for the test. This way, many more people will get to know their status than would otherwise be possible.
MAMBO: What is your message to Africans in general?
MASEKELA: I think the real message about AIDS should focus on the adult members of our society, in particular male adults. In South Africa where I come from, there are just too many cases of rape, sexual violence and intimidation against women, which are driving the epidemic. As men, we need to treat our women better. In my view, the day we start tackling the gender imbalance, such as by giving our women more respect is the day the real campaign to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS will have begun. Also, as Africans, we need to avoid dangerous habits such as excessive drinking, drug abuse, or jumping from one relationship to another.
MAMBO: What about the younger generation? They, too, are at risk from HIV.
MASEKELA: The youths are often lured by the ‘juices’ that older people offer them. Poverty and the loss of a sense of direction can put a young person at risk of a sexually transmitted disease. My message to the youths is that understanding culture and tradition will give them a sense of direction. Nowadays, too many young people want to copy Western lifestyle, complete with practices and attitudes that they do not fully understand, but which can put their sexual health at risk.
MAMBO: Any final message to the UK African community?
MASEKELA: My final word is: HIV affects everybody. Even if you are not infected, you should give support to those who are, in the same way you would give support to someone with cancer or malaria.
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