Hugh Masekela’s Son Selema Once Wished His Father Were Dead to Cope With His Addiction

• Selema Masekela opened up about the painful years he spent emotionally detached from his legendary father, Hugh Masekela
• Hugh's addiction grew so severe that Selema's uncle arranged a dramatic intervention, reportedly flying him to London against his will
• After five years apart, the father and son reunited in New York, but Selema admitted his feelings about Hugh's recovery were complicated

Selema Masekela has opened up about the heartbreaking emotional distance that once defined his relationship with his late father, legendary South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela, revealing that at his lowest point, he found it easier to imagine Hugh dead than to keep watching him fall apart.

Speaking on the One54Africa podcast on 26 August 2026, Selema described how his father's addiction had become so consuming that, during his mid-20s, he completely withdrew from their relationship.

"Because what he was going through with his addiction was so bad that I was like, let me just have this man be dead so that when he dies, I've already got a head start." That period of silence stretched across roughly five years.

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The intervention that turned things around

The turning point came when Selema's uncle took matters into his own hands. He reportedly arranged for Hugh to be removed from South Africa without warning, "passport, bare feet," and flown to London, where he was placed in a rural rehabilitation facility that Selema described as once belonging to one of the Beatles.

What made the rehab particularly effective, Selema explained, was that it offered Hugh little room to lean on the extraordinary charm and brilliance that had carried him through difficult moments for decades. Stripped of familiar surroundings and his usual escape routes, Masekela was forced to confront his addiction head-on.

"He beat it" - but Selema was angry

Hugh's recovery, however, did not bring immediate relief for his son. Having braced himself for yet another relapse after previous disappointments, Selema admitted he felt an unexpected surge of frustration when his father actually succeeded.

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"And then he got right. And I was mad that he got right. I was mad because I had dealt with it a few times before. And so I'm like, you know, what's the outcome going to be? He's just going to come back out and beat up again. And then he did it. He beat it. Like, he got himself right."

The reunion happened in New York, where Selema knocked on his father's hotel-room door after five years of estrangement, unsure of who he would find waiting on the other side.

What followed was not simply a reconciliation but the gradual rebuilding of a bond that eventually grew into something far deeper than either might have expected. Hugh Masekela, who passed away in January 2018 at the age of 78, went on to become one of the most important presences in his son's life.

"My dad became my best friend on earth."

Over time, Hugh shifted from being the iconic musician whose legacy loomed over Selema's upbringing to becoming his son's most enthusiastic supporter, present and proud as Selema carved out his own identity and career.

Inside Hugh Masekela's 44-year addiction

Hugh Masekela battled severe alcohol and cocaine addiction for 44 years. He had spoken candidly in the past about that period, pointing to South Africa’s history as a reason why he got addicted.

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"When I grew up, liquor was illegal for African people in South Africa. Drunkenness, to a great extent, was a form of defiance."

He stated that he started drinking around age 13 and used substances for decades, noting that his addiction eventually cost him tens of millions of rands

The legendary trumpeter was 58 when he finally stopped, saying he didn’t get "sober," he just stopped killing himself.

"You shouldn’t stop enjoying life, but you just have to stop beating yourself up."

Hugh Masekela had two children: Selema and his half-sister, Motlalepula "Pula" Twala.

Watch Selema Masekela's interview below.

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The singer shared the personal battles he faced behind the scenes of his music career, revealing that at his lowest point, he produced one of the biggest songs of his career.

Source: Briefly News