Peter Makurube
Pretoria’s anomaly has always been that it is the headquarters of apartheid and jazz. On one side of the city they chilled out to Bles Bridges and other nostalgic musicians. On the other side the spirit of Malombo won the hearts and minds of the people.
Gradually,after all these years, Pretoria is learning to be a city for all its people. Although many township residents still prefer the atmosphere of Atteridgeville, Mabopane, Mamelodi, Ga-Rankuwa and Saulsville, they are now invited to a new venue – the Democracy Jazz Cafe – in the middle of the city.
Mpho Molefe and his partners took a brave step to fill the void left when the Sophiatown Jazz Club closed down recently (it was the first jazz venue in Pretoria). They created the Democracy Jazz Cafe, which really buzzes. A few weeks ago guitar maestro Allen Kwela was playing solo for close to 400 jazzophiles. Molefe says they have up to 800 guests on a busy night.
It is divided into two areas – one for live music and one for the praters (talkers). There is a fully equipped kitchen serving soul food, from pap and vleis to malamogodu (tripe) and salad and fish.
The cafe is so named because it is on property that belongs to Idasa and also houses the Robben Island museum. The parking lot has what looks like an ordinary rockery but apparently each rock tells a story, each rock has a special history. They were all brought up from Robben Island as tributes to the hard labour for democracy performed by honourable men.
Today black people run businesses in the centre of Pretoria, just across the street from civil-servant flatland.
Many of the flat-dwellers were at first uncomfortable with so many black people in their backyard. “They called the police several times but the city council has since intervened and our neighbours are not so perturbed any more. They have realised we are decent folk,” explains Molefe.
The former paper pushers had nothing to worry about – there has never been a riot at a jazz gig.
The cafe is slowly building a dedicated following across Gauteng. It has invited acts like Four Forty, from Dayeyton on the East Rand. Local heroes Jazz Moods have played there, as has the chilli-hot Moss Mogale trio. It has yet to host the legendary Malombo. “We are working on it,” say the owners.
The owners have created a musician- friendly environment that has hosted Pretoria musicians coming together to jam and exchange ideas on Saturdays. The ages of the musicians vary and that augurs well for cross- pollination.
So when you are next in the city of those maddening one way streets, make a turn at this hip place on the corner of Visagie and Prinsloo streets. It is just a stone’s throw from Mandela motorway.