In this book, Masekela tells a story of his forty-year career in the world of African jazz and his travels from South Africa to New York, then to Jamaica, and then back to his homeland.

In America, South African trumpeter Masekela is most known for "Grazing in the Grass," which reached number one on U.S. pop charts in 1968.

The first part of this lengthy autobiography—written with Ebony magazine editor Cheers—covers from Masekela's birth in 1939 to his flight to the U.S in 1960, offering a detailed look at life under the racist system of apartheid in which his trumpet became his "personal choice of weapon."

The middle section is a virtual history of American music in the 1960s, from Masekela raising U.S interest in African music along with singer Miriam Makeba to his becoming friends with everyone from jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie (who introduced him to Miles Davis) to rock star David Crosby (who introduced him to LSD).

The final section moves from Masekela's international adventures, including playing with Nigerian musician Fela and watching the Ali-Forman fight in Zaire to garnering critical praise in the late 1980s with his musical Sarafina and touring with Paul Simon in support of Simon's Graceland album.—Publishers Weekly[7]