Legendary South African trumpeter, composer and singer Hugh Masekela has died at the age of 78, after a battle with prostate cancer.

Bra Hugh’s family issued a statement confirming the news. “After a protracted and courageous battle with prostate cancer, he passed peacefully in Johannesburg, South Africa, surrounded by his family,” read the statement.

The musician’s team released a statement in October saying he had been battling prostate cancer since 2008.

The statement explained that the jazz veteran underwent eye surgery in March 2016 after the cancer spread, and had to go into theatre again in September 2016 after another tumour was discovered.

In December, Masakela’s manager, Josh Georgiou, told TshisaLIVE that his client was fighting the disease with everything he had.

Bra Hugh was born in KwaGuqa township in Witbank and began singing and playing the piano as a child.