October 9 1934 —
In June 1974, Abdullah Ibrahim, with Robbie Jansen, Basil Coetzee, Monty Weber, Morris Goldberg and Paul Michaels, was recording here at the old UCA recording studio under the watchful eye of producer Rashid Vally. In a moment of inspiration, Mannenberg was born. "There was magic in the studio that day," says saxophonist Jansen. Recorded against a backdrop of forced removals as the apartheid government finalised its destruction of District Six and evicted coloured families from homes throughout the city, the title track fused Cape jazz with African marabi to produce a melody that became a beloved anthem of hope and resistance for many South Africans.
- » ARTISTS: Mark O’Donovan and Francois Venter
- » ADDRESS: 21 Bloem Street, Cape Town