The Bassline is a popular
music venue
A music venue is any location used for a concert or musical performance. Music venues range in size and location, from a small coffeehouse for folk music shows, an outdoor bandshell or bandstand or a concert hall to an indoor sports stadium. Ty ...
and club in
Johannesburg
Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...
,
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
. The original Bassline, established in 1994 in the
Melville neighborhood of Johannesburg, closed in 2003, only to reopen in
Newtown.
As well as being popular among young residents of the city, the Bassline became an important stage for some of the hottest
Jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
musicians in South Africa. Many popular albums were recorded live at the Bassline, and the record company of the same name became a fixture in the Johannesburg music scene.
Musicians who have played at the Bassline include
Vusi Mahlasela
Vusi Sidney Mahlasela Ka Zwane (born 1965 in Pretoria, South Africa) is a Sotho South African singer-songwriter.
His music is generally described as "African folk" and he is often dubbed as "The Voice" of South Africa. His work was an inspir ...
,
Marcus Wyatt, and
Tumi and the Volume.
The Bassline also inspired a fictional identity as an important place-name in the novel ''
Live at the Bassline
''Live at the Bassline'' is a live album by Vusi Mahlasela and Louis Mhlanga
Louis Mhlanga (born 10 November 1956) is a Zimbabwean artist based in South Africa, an award-winning guitarist and producer. Mhlanga taught himself to play the ...
''.
Culture of Johannesburg
Music venues in South Africa
Music venues completed in 1994
1994 establishments in South Africa
20th-century architecture in South Africa
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