PAGE
23:
Research the vibrant culture
of Sophiatown during the 1950’s:
The
population and atmosphere of Sophiatown was overcrowded. The Black nations who
were owners of properties were poor, so they had to get paying tenants, to pay
off their mortgages. Huts, rooms and shacks were created for dwelling of the
tenants. Yards consisted of only one tap/ toilet meant to share amongst many
people.
The
following activities were what made the environment productive:
·
Cooking
·
Fighting
·
Learning
·
Partying
·
Singing
·
Talking
·
Washing
This
shaped the vibrant, lively and close community. Although all of this described
the positive sides of the town, there was still poverty, suffering and
violence. These two sides were juxtapositioned creating a unique vision of
Sophiatown. Sophiatown being a location of Southern Africa was the place for
black people to have ownership of land. Sophiatown grew into a colourful town
with rich history. Houses were built according to the amount of money people
had available, their own tastes, cultural background and interests. Some houses
were made of brick, and had no less than 4 rooms whereas others had shacks
built of corrugated iron and scrap sheet metal. Sophiatown was a place for the
community as all of them had struggled to survive, as an act of teamwork. It
was full of culture that came from the shebeens, mbanganga music, and beer-brewing.
These attributes attracted the entertainment side of Sophiatown and is remembered
through the town’s history.
During the
1950’s, one of the most significant events were the forced removals which were
captured by Drum magazine.
Figure 1:
1959: Depicts the last day of the forced
removal.
Figure 2:
Left- Bar- tender. Right- Model for fashion wear at the time.
Figure 3:
Miriam Makeba- Singer/ Entertainer (Jazz).
Figure 4:
Miriam Makeba – Left and Fashion –Right.
Figure 5:
White lady loving the Sophiatown vibes.
Sophiatown
entertainment consisted of music (American music played a huge influence on the
African Jazz musicians) of shebeens and dance parties) and movies (based on the
behaviour, language and dress patterns that developed from the tsotsi’s of
Sophiatown.
Links:
Figure
3:
Figure
4:
No comments:
Post a Comment