On what would have been his 80th birthday, Google honored jazz legend and anti-apartheid hero Hugh Masekela by featuring him as a Google Doodle.
“Today’s Doodle celebrates the world-renowned South African trumpeter, singer, bandleader, composer, and human rights advocate Hugh Masekela,” Google announced in a blog post. “Born 80 years ago today in the coal-mining town of Witbank, South Africa, Masekela got his first horn at age 14.”
A screenshot of the doodle — showing Masekela playing the trumpet — was shared by his estate’s twitter. The doodle is featured in the United States, United Kingdom, South Africa, and a few other countries worldwide.
Today the Search Engine @Google is celebrating Hugh Masekela's 80th Birthday with Google Doodle in US, UK, South Africa and few other countries. Happy Birthday Hugh Masekela 🎺🎺🎺 😊 Visit https://t.co/eMStzSopio to share the link and celebrate with us! 🎺 #HughMasekela80th pic.twitter.com/wTkb5h8AU7
— Home Is Where The Music Is (@hughmasekela) April 4, 2019
Remembered as the father of South African Jazz, Masekela died in January 2018. He was widely known as an anti-apartheid activist and his 30 years in exile greatly shaped his music.
