"Exile is a traumatizing horror, a nightmare of terror, a destabilizing drama, a suicidal downer, a dehumanizing outrage, a continuous bondage”: a psychobiography of Hugh Ramapolo Masekela.

Abstract

Various studies provide explorations and descriptions of the implications of exile. However, fewer South African studies give a psychobiographical account of the implications of exile on personhood and/or personality development. Psychobiography is qualitative in nature and refers to the systematic, descriptive, and explorative study of the life histories of past or present significant and influential members of society in light of psychological conceptions. The primary aim of this study is to give a psychobiographical account of the implications of exile on Hugh Ramapolo Masekela’s (1939-2018) psychodynamic life. Purposive sampling was used to select Masekela as the psychobiographical subject. His experience of exile for thirty years, extraordinary musical abilities, sociopolitical activism, and rich biographical data make him a suitable subject. Masekela’s musical abilities earned him global recognition as the father of South African jazz music. He employed his music, including live performances, as his political voice against the apartheid regime. The researcher established an analytical matrix to classify data and employed Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development to systematically evaluate and extrapolate Masekela’s life history. Erikson’s theory emphasises how historical, social, cultural, and external environmental factors impact an individual’s personality development. The research findings revealed that Masekela’s sociohistorical context, including his early life and the occurrences of his external environment, complicated his identity development and, subsequently, his ability to cope and adapt during exile. Masekela experienced a sense of mistrust in himself and his external environment, exilic trauma, anxiety and personal destabilisation. He also experienced feelings of isolation, loss and inadequacy. Masekela’s experience of exile perpetuated his regression to past psychosocial conflicts, alongside his psychosocial moratorium and identity confusion. Even so, Masekela’s continuing sense of purpose and competence facilitated the development of his career fidelity. Masekela had two significant experiences which led to his catharsis and the eventual resolution of previous psychosocial crises, namely: (a) his return from exile and (b) rehabilitation from substance use. Lastly, this study contributes to South Africa’s progressing field of psychobiography as a methodological approach.