Reimagining the City, Rewriting Narratives: Music, Suburban Youths, and Inner City Redevelopment in Johannesburg, circa 2015 Amanda Mullins A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts by Research in Music Johannesburg 2016 ii Abstract This research explores the influence that inner city redevelopment in Johannesburg has had on both its music scenes and the identities of those participating in the music scenes, particularly young participants from Johannesburg’s suburbs who did not interact with the city before its redevelopment. Understanding the city’s history as well as the current lived and imagined divides between its suburbs and inner city illuminates its fragmented nature and informs the significance of the presence of suburban youths in today’s inner city music scenes. Personal and collective narratives gathered from participants of these inner city music scenes provide insight into the city’s spatial, social, and musical transitions, adding subjective voices to the city’s complex and ever- evolving history. The use of culture-led regeneration (within cultural clusters), as a model of redevelopment, has aided in the success of attracting new audiences to the inner city once eschewed by suburbanites, providing grounds for new experiences and interactions within an increasingly diverse social sphere. Due to this, the music’s diversity within these spaces is expanding too. The role of music – and in particular, alternative music – in enticing suburban youths to the inner city requires an understanding of why ‘alternative’ (or arguably, creative) people are often drawn to urban spaces, and in doing so, often become main contributors to the accomplishments and successes of redevelopment initiatives. Examining social interactions and relationships within the inner city, in comparison to those in suburban Johannesburg, exposes a unique and highly valued manner of communal bonding amongst participants that is often tied to involvement in similar music scenes. The experience of the inner city, the experience of music in the inner city, and the experience of a community of like-minded people within the inner city all combine to create new discourses about Johannesburg, as well as impacting on the identities and experiences of those contributing to these discourses. Transforming city. Transforming music. Transforming people. iii Declaration I know that plagiarism is wrong. Plagiarism is to use another’s work and pretend as if it were my own. I have used the author date convention for citation and referencing. Each significant contribution to and quotation in this dissertation from the work/s of other people has been acknowledged through citation and reference. I declare that this dissertation is my own unaided work. It is submitted for the degree of Master of Arts at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. It has not been submitted before for any other degree or examination in any other university. A.A.A. C.C.C. Mullins Amanda Mullins 11 March 2016 iv Contents Abstract ii Declaration ii i Acknowledgements v List of Figures vi Introduction 1 Part I: Setting the Scene Chapter 1: Suburban Life in Johannesburg: Comfort vs. Community 10 Chapter 2: Inner City Redevelopment: Context and Contest 17 Enlivening Johannesburg Redevelopment initiatives in Johannesburg’s inner city Gentrification and its affects and effects Moving forward Chapter 3: Reimagining the City: New and Changing Perceptions 37 Post-2007 Limitations and freedoms Spatial matters Part II: Inside the Scene Chapter 4: Music Brought Me Here: Migrating 53 The relationship between space and sound Chapter 5: The Soundtrack of Johannesburg: Listening 61 Fertile ground Changing spaces = changing music Mainstream vs. hip What does it mean? Chapter 6: The Tin Roof Choir of an Old Train Station: Experiencing 73 Experiencing the city at different times A walkable city Chapter 7: We Are Who We Are Because We Are Not Them: Socialising 85 The ‘in-group’ and the ‘out-group’ Visual displays of the self Community ties and neo-tribal bonds The metaphor of migration Chapter 8: The Blank Canvas: Rewriting 97 The changing city The changing people The changing music Conclusion 107 Appendix 112 References 116 v Acknowledgements My greatest thanks go to my supervisor Dr. Grant Olwage who continuously supported and bettered this thesis. Your insight and guidance allowed for this research to take shape in the way it did, also allowing me to improve as a writer. I really appreciate your patience and kindness; I have so enjoyed working alongside you. Thank you to the University for the financial support in the form of post-graduate bursaries, which have abetted me greatly over the past two years. To my informants, Nas, Saul, Mike, Jess, Jean-Michel, Andile, and Bassie, whose stories, opinions, and experiences constitute a large part of my work: I am so thankful for your time and assistance. I value the way that your voices brought this work to life and enriched the research. I am forever grateful to my family and friends who supported me throughout this process. My dad, Nigel, my sister, Angie, my other half, Tristan, and particularly my mom and best friend, Jean: your encouragement and love is so very appreciated. This work is dedicated to my dearest Alfie. vi List of Figures Figure 1 A map of Johannesburg with noteworthy areas labelled. 5 Figure 2 A map of Johannesburg’s inner city with noteable areas and 6 landmarks labelled. Figure 3 A typical suburban scene in Johannesburg. 12 Figure 4 A gated community or ‘estate’ in the suburb of Fourways. 15 Figure 5 One of the many dilapidated buildings in the inner city. 19 Figure 6 A view from Newtown looking out over Braamfontein towards 19 Hillbrow, demonstrating redevelopment’s impacts. Figure 7 Colourful street art in Braamfontein. 24 Figure 8 The streets of Newtown ‘littered’ with creative graffiti designs. 25 Figure 9 Neighbourgoods market buzzing on a Saturday in Braamfontein. 28 Figure 10 Two promotional posters from The Living Room showcasing their 40 interesting range of musical offerings. Figure 11 Bassie’s conceptual map of Johannesburg’s inner city . 46 Figure12 Jean -Michel’s conceptual ma p of Johannesburg’s inner city . 48 Figure 13 Nas’s conceptual map of Johannesburg’s inner city . 49 Figure 14 Maboneng visitors and residents expressing their creativity . 58 Figure 15 Two posts from Kitcheners’ Facebook page promoting events. 65 Figure 16 A Facebook post from And Club, promoting the enjoyment of music. 70 Figure 17 The unassuming and ‘not -so -glitzy’ entrance of Town Hall in 71 Newtown. Figure 18 The old Park Station structure in its usual desolate state. 75 Figure 19 A comment from the 5 Gum Experience ’s Facebook page. 76 Figure 20 A view of the crowd at a party in Braamfontein. 77 Figure 21 Partygoe rs enjoying the music under a highway in the inner city. 79 Figure 22 People walking between attractions in Maboneng. 82 vii Figure 23 Cyclists taking part in a Critical Mass event in Braamfontein. 84 Figure 24 Two posts from Tiger Tiger Fourways’ Facebook page. 88 Figure 25 Two posts from Kitcheners’ Facebook page, promoting events at the 89 club. Figure 26 People dancing at And Club. 91 Figure 27 The exotic interior of Maboneng’s The Living Room. 105 Figure 28 Andile’s conceptual map of Johannesburg’s inner city . 112 Figure 29 Jess’s conceptual map of Johannesburg’s inner city . 113 Figure 30 Mike’s conceptual map of Johannesburg’s inner city . 114 Figure 31 Saul’s conceptual map of Johannesburg’s inner city . 115 1 Introduction The spatial configuration of Johannesburg is one of its most fascinating and unique features, made even more so by the city’s now infamous decline during the 1990s and early 2000s. Referring to the repeal of apartheid’s Group Areas Act in 1991 when the movement of black citizens was no longer controlled and as heavily scrutinised, Russell West-Pavlov describes how The erstwhile polarisation of apartheid Johannesburg into rich white suburbs in the north, impoverished black townships in the south, and a central business district (CBD) where both groups met in the everyday labour transactions of a major commercial and financial metropolis abruptly became fluid. Following upon the mass flight of large corporations from the CBD to peripheral centres such as Sandton or Rosebank, the city centre has been ‘hollowed out’, in the words of urban theorist Martin Murray [2011], resulting in a metropolis ‘turned inside out’ (2014: 11). In this logic, the ‘inside out’ city resulted in the peripheral suburbs becoming the ‘heart’ of Johannesburg while the inner city, on the other hand, was eschewed. Perceptions towards the inner city were greatly affected, with many such attitudes still prevailing today. However, recent redevelopment projects in the inner city are steadily challenging and changing the perceptions of the city. Middle-class suburban youths – specifically those who self-identify as creative and ‘alternative’ – were some of the first people to notice and participate in the beginnings of the city’s redevelopment. Music in particular was a main drawcard for them. From around 2007 onwards, the growing presence of alternative music scenes and clubs appealing to these creative and alternative middle-class suburban youths resulted in a steady, although at first small, influx of people who had previously been too wary to interact with the city. Then, music acted as a stepping stone into the transforming city, and offered the young suburbanites glimpses of the city’s potential. In turn, the presence of these suburbanites, displaying the comfort and ease with which (parts of) the city could be experienced, influenced and attracted more outsiders to visit and utilise the city. The use of culture-led regeneration initiatives, a model of redevelopment that has experienced widespread global success, has been a main component in not only bringing new musical experiences to fruition within Johannesburg’s inner city, but also in drawing vast crowds to its spaces.