Hugh Masekela tribute exhibition open at RMB gallery

The “Hugh Masekela: Home Is Where The Music Is” exhibition is now on display at the publicly accessible Art & About pop-up gallery at 8 Merchant Place in the Rand Merchant Bank precinct in Sandton. The exhibition, which runs until 20 August 2022, showcases rarely seen memorabilia and photographs from Bra Hugh’s personal archive.

These include the famous trumpet that Louis Armstrong gifted to the youth band that Masekela played for in the 1950s, and which Bra Hugh himself ended up playing in the band.

There is also a charming exhibition of Artist Proof Studio alumni Mongezi Ncaphayi and Lebogang Sithole, and The Artists’ Press jazz series works by Sam Nhlengethwa. A limited number of prints by acclaimed photographer Brett Rubin, Masekela’s personal photographer later in life, are available for purchase.

Image: Brett Rubin | Hugh Masekela Heritage Foundation

The exhibition was curated in 2019 by the Hugh Masekela Heritage Foundation (HMHF) to commemorate what would have been Bra Hugh’s 80th birthday. It has since found homes in several galleries and festivals in Johannesburg, including CIRCA, Art Week Johannesburg and the Market Theatre.

“The exhibition is less about Hugh’s name and more about his legacy,” says Hugh’s nephew, Mabusha Masekela, who serves as an advisor to the board of the HMHF.  “Hugh was a global citizen and a strong advocate for the validity of African culture and African life. He believed that we Africans can – and should! – maintain our own dynamic and evolving culture, even in the face of an onslaught of Western influence.”

Brett Rubin, who was Bra Hugh’s personal photographer in later years, says the theme of the exhibition, “Home is where the music is”, is particularly meaningful.

“It’s the name of an album that Masekela released in 1972 while he was in exile,” he says. “But more than that, it speaks to the fact that home was always important to Bra Hugh, wherever in the world he was.”

The innovative exhibition space where the memorabilia are on display, Art & About, was previously unlet retail space, which RMB repurposed into a bright and inviting salon-style area in the heart of its banking campus.

A saxy sculpture by James Delaney

“It’s a space where anything creative can happen,” says RMB creative counsel, Carolynne Waterhouse. “It’s hosted exhibitions from NGOs and small galleries, as well as an art exhibition by the children of our staff.

“The space itself is appealingly raw and industrial, allowing the artworks on display to feature as heroes.”

Art & About is also perfect for functions of 50 people or more.

Much of the work in the gallery is for sale, with the proceeds going directly to the artists. For the current exhibition, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the HMHF.

“The gallery builds on our long-established ‘RMB Talent Unlocked’ programme, which helps to stimulate the creative economy, nurturing, empowering and rewarding talent and ensuring that more art gets sold,” says Waterhouse. “We have exhibited work by several well-known artists and continue to see amazing up-and-coming work.”

The exhibition is open to the public on weekdays between 8am and 5pm until 20 August 2022 at 8 Merchant Place, 1 Fredman Drive, corner Rivonia Road, Sandton.