Hugh Masekela – The Chisa Years 1965-1976 (Rare And Unreleased) (2xLP)

Hugh Masekela (1939-2018), also known as Bra Hugh, was a South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, pianist, singer, composer and anti-apartheid activist. He is considered one of the most important jazz and world music pioneers from South Africa. Together with Stewart Levine, he ran the Chisa label in exile in California, which was dedicated to releasing Afro-jazz, Afro-funk and rare grooves.

At the beginning of the 1970s, Chisa became part of the Motown record company for distribution reasons. Through the advocacy of Motown artists such as Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Lamont Dozier, who were all fans of Chisa and the artists on it, the label gained an excellent reputation in jazz, funk and rare groove circles.

The compilation "The Chisa Years 1965- 1975 (Rare And Unreleased)", first released in 2006, features 14 forgotten highlights that Masekela recorded with various musicians. They give lasting expression to what he understood by "african american music". Detailed and lovingly researched liner notes round off the double LP.