Cape Town, its Musical Spatiality and Apartheid: The Case of Zayn Adam, Richard Jon Smith and Jonathan Butler
Abstract
Cape Town, apart from its famed New Year festive season jamboree once known by the moniker “Coon Carnival”, is arguably the most musical city in South Africa due in no small measure to its exposure to international cultural currents flowing from across the seas to its renowned harbour. Drawing on musical influences from Africa and the USA, the Mother City has given birth to some of South Africa’s most gifted musicians who emerged out of the grim shadow of apartheid to shine in the galaxy of music superstars. Reflecting on the careers of three sons of this city, Zayn Adam (also Adams in some sources), Richard Jon Smith and Jonathan Butler, this article endorses what Martin Stokes has said about music, namely as “the means by which this [social] space can be transformed” (Stokes 1994: 4). In focussing on these three artistes, this article spotlights a historic moment in South Africa’s cultural production – its popular music of the 1970s and 1980s and how these cultural ambassadors transcended the ontology of their race and the apartheid structuration of the city to make their presence in the world of popular entertainment both in South Africa and globally.
Opsomming
Kaapstad is waarskynlik die mees musikale stad in Suid-Afrika – afgesien van die bekende feestydbyeenkoms wat met Nuwejaar daar plaasvind en vantevore as die “Klopsekarnaval” bekend gestaan het. Die stad het hierdie status grootliks te danke aan die blootstelling aan internasionale kulture wat die bekende Kaapstadse hawe van oor die see binnegestroom het. Musikale invloede uit Afrika en die Verenigde State van Amerika het bygedra tot die vorming van sommige van Suid-Afrika se mees talentvolle musikante, wat uit die sombere skadu van apartheid verrys het om saam met ander musikale supersterre te skitter. Deur ʼn blik te gee op die loopbane van drie manne van hierdie stad – Zayn Adam (ook Adams in sommige bronne), Richard Jon Smith en Jonathan Butler – onderskryf hierdie artikel wat Martin Stokes oor musiek gesê het: dat dit “die middel is waarmee hierdie [sosiale] ruimte getransformeer kan word” [eie vertaling] (Stokes 1994: 4). Hierdie artkel fokus op dié drie kunstenaars om klem te lê op ʼn historiese oomblik in Suid-Afrika se kulturele produksie – sy populêre musiek van die 1970’s en 1980’s en hoe hierdie kulturele ambassadeurs die ontologie van hul afkoms en die apartheidstrukturering van die stad oortref het om naam te maak in die wêreld van populêre vermaak – nie net in Suid-Afrika nie, maar wêreldwyd.
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