How Hugh Masekela’s addiction nearly broke his bond with son Selema - and how they healed
Selema Masekela shares his experience of estrangement from his father, the late music legend Hugh Masekela, due to the latter's severe struggles with alcohol and cocaine addiction. The two eventually reconciled after an intervention led to Hugh's rehabilitation.
Why it matters
The story highlights the personal toll of addiction on family relationships and the potential for healing through intervention and recovery.
Selema Masekela has opened up about his complicated relationship with his father, the late South African music legend Hugh Masekela, and the years he spent battling addiction.
Speaking on One54 Africa, Selema discussed the darkest period of their relationship, revealing that his father’s dependence on alcohol and cocaine had become so severe that he emotionally detached himself from him.
“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. So, for like five years, from when I was 25 to 30, I just didn’t f*** with him at all,” he recalled.
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