In 1966, the apartheid government of South Africa declared District Six, a lively inner-city community in Cape Town, a whites-only area under the Group Areas Act. By 1982, more than 60,000 people had been forcibly removed from their homes and relocated to other areas. What was once a thriving and vibrant melting pot had become a barren scene of destruction as all buildings, except for places of worship, were demolished. At the same time, in the early 1970s, Abdullah Ibrahim and a collection of other local artists would record a piece of music that would become an anthem of the anti-apartheid struggle, and the role of District Six as “a symbol of resilience and creativity in the face of racial oppression” would live on in its music.
Background
In 1974, Ibrahim returned to Cape Town after 12 years of living abroad with only occasional trips to South Africa. He had been working with local musicians, such as saxophonists Basil Coetzee and Robbie Jansen, on recording an album for a new record label. One day, between studio sessions, Ibrahim started improvising at the piano, encouraging the other musicians to join him. After a couple of days, “Mannenberg“ was recorded, all in a single take.
Following the brutality of the Soweto uprising of 1976, in which South African police fired upon and killed unarmed student protesters, Ibrahim and his wife publicly expressed support for the then-banned ANC party. The saxophonists on the original “Mannenberg“ recording, Coetzee and Jansen, began playing the song at anti-government rallies, and it quickly transitioned into the unofficial anthem of the struggle.
What it means to me
This piece is an amazing symbol of the cosmopolitan nature of Cape Town, and it makes me long for my home every single time I hear it. It’s not overtly protest music, but is infused with the life and energy of the inhabitants of communities such as District Six. Drawing from a wide range of local styles, it is familiar to many, making it a powerful symbol of shared cultural identity.
Although it serves as a reminder of the shame and horror in our past, it also celebrates the wonderful diversity and cultural melting pot of Cape Town and South Africa as a whole.
What to listen for
This piece draws from various local styles, the most notable being marabi, a keyboard style that was popular in local shebeens. The metallic sound of the piano, reminiscent of the cheap instruments used in marabi, was created by attaching thumb tacks to the hammers of the piano.
It’s also very improvisatory in nature, featuring a lot of collective improvisation in which the saxes and piano all improvise at once, and the repeated groove is as hypnotic as it is catchy.
Suggested listening activity
Marabi was primarily a music style for dancing and “Mannenberg“ is a very danceable track. So get up and get grooving. Go on. DO IT.