The Market Theater Cafe: A History in Sound

Pakama Ncume

This interdisciplinary project, drawing on heritage studies, audio-visual digitisation and history work, will explore the music and events that took place at the Market Theatre Café in Johannesbrug. The café was run by David Marks and his wife, Frances Marks, in conjunction with Manni Manim and Barney Simon who was responsible for the Market Theatre, from 1976 until 1980. In spite of the well documented history of the Market Theatre, very little is known about the Market Theatre Café, a lively inter-racial music venue where musicians from Johnny Clegg and Sipho Mchunu to Jeremy Taylor and the Malombo group performed. The study will make use of oral history interviews, exhibition methodologies and archival research in the Hidden Years music archive to explore this history.

Master fellow: Pakama Ncume

Duration: 2018-2020