Downtown music hub turns 40
Kelebogile Bogatsu
Downtown Music Hub service marks its 40th anniversary since starting out in 1979 as RPM Recording Studios, offering artists creative space.
The past four decades saw Downtown Studios’ recording services going through various channel permutations, with the oldest surviving big recording studios in Johannesburg currently providing three top-notch music studios in the form of Studio 1, Studio 2, Studio 3 and up to 10 spacious rehearsal and pre-production rooms.
The past four decades in Jozi also saw one of the largest recording, mixing and mastering facility in Africa create a museum of living memory and music heritage on the ground floor. It is the first-ever music museum for the country.
Under the umbrella of the Department of Arts & Culture, DTMH has been under many changes of leadership in recent years due to idling and uncertainty. However, that hasn’t deterred the music hub being the city’s creative community.
The music hub is currently under the reigns of music mogul, Vusi Leeiuw, who took over as interim CEO late last year. Since then, Downtown Music Hub has welcomed some big conglomerates to its doors, with big names such as, KFC, Puma, and Barcadi, using the hub’s facilities to create fully-fledged crafts in their respective industry.
The five-storey building has housed multi-award winning artists such as the Soweto Gospel Choir, Hugh Masekela, Brenda Fassie, Marriam Makeba, Jonny Clegg, iHashi Elimhlophe, Sjava, Nasty C.
The music hub also welcomed film productions that filmed a few episodes of Top Billing and Meanwhile.
Downtown Music Hub also worked with the National Lottery Commission (NLC) in funding to help the recording studio discover, mentor and expose new talents to the South African music public. With the Lottery’s help, DTMH was able to develop a community of young musicians to celebrate Mzansi’s diverse cultural heritage through song.
Connect with Downtown Music Hub: Facebook: downtownmusichub / Twitter: @DownTownMusicZa /Website: www.dtmh.co.za.
