John Legend to portray Harry Belafonte in new film
John Legend will play singer, actor and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte in the apartheid-era film The Road Home. The 47-year-old singer joins a cast that includes Thabo Rametsi, Cynthia Erivo, Guy Pearce and Johnny Flynn.
Directed by Academy Award winner Bill Condon, the film follows South African jazz musicians Hugh Masekela and Miriam “Mama Africa” Makeba during their apartheid-era Graceland tour with Paul Simon.
Film synopsis
According to the film’s synopsis, exiled trumpeter Hugh Masekela (Rametsi) is caught between two worlds when the Anti-Apartheid Movement, led by his mentor Archbishop Trevor Huddleston (Pearce), launches a boycott against his friend Paul Simon (Flynn) over Simon’s album Graceland, which was inspired by township music. Simon is accused of violating the United Nations’ cultural boycott.
Masekela, who sees music as a powerful weapon, leaves his mentor and joins forces with fellow exile Miriam Makeba (Erivo) to form the Graceland band – a supergroup aimed at bringing South Africa’s voice to the world. The synopsis describes the story as one of defiance, sacrifice and resilience. Filming is currently under way in South Africa.
John Legend on playing Belafonte
Legend said he was “honoured to know him (Belafonte) as a friend, mentor and collaborator in the struggle for justice”. He added: “He was an incredible human being who lived a monumental, revolutionary life. He was the epitome of an artist and activist who set a standard for me and so many others who stand on his shoulders. I count it a privilege to be entrusted with the role of Harry Belafonte in this special film.”
The script was written by Michael Bronner, who was approached by the Hugh Masekela Heritage Foundation, alongside South African writer Zakes Mda. Music producer Hilton Rosenthal is co-producer and will produce new recordings from Masekela and Makeba’s catalogues for the soundtrack.
Background on Masekela and Belafonte
Masekela, known as the “father of South African jazz”, wrote anti-apartheid songs such as Soweto Blues and Bring Him Back Home. He was forced into exile after the 1960 Sharpeville Massacre and later met Belafonte in the United States. Belafonte, a civil rights activist and close confidant of Martin Luther King Jr and Nelson Mandela, died in 2023 at the age of 96. He was one of the few performers to achieve Egot status (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). Legend, also an Egot recipient, has won 13 Grammys, an Oscar, a Golden Globe and a Tony award. He previously appeared in La La Land, Underground and American Dreams.
