A tragedy has occurred. "Hugh Masekela & the Union of South Africa" is out-of-print. It is nauseating for serious music listeners to contemplate that while "Destiny's Child" is making millions of dollars on record sales, this gem has descended below obscurity to become out-of-print. The ultimate dishonor has not tarnished this album's phenomenal music.
This classic recording has a beautiful balance of African aesthetics meet American soul, jazz, funk, rock and pop. The songs have a vintage sound that could only have been made by a South African playing American music in 1971. Along these lines, the album cover is the perfect visual representation of the music. While having a 1970's sound, "Hugh Masekela & the Union of South Africa" is by no means outdated, nor will it ever. The disc has an enjoyable mix of slow ballads, township infused instrumentals and fast funk. The song writing is superb, the musical improvisation is good and the voices soar.
The only drawback is that coming in under forty minutes, it's short. While short on length, it will provide many long years of listening pleasure. Get "Hugh Masekela & the Union of South Africa" if you can! (Customer from Amazon)