The Marabi Club
In the 1920s, the mining gold rush flowed over Johannesburg. As more Black people moved into the city, an urban culture emerged through fashion, shebeens (an unlicensed bar), and music. After the hardships of the day, people would gather together and dance to marabi and kwela, music rooted in African culture. These gatherings were often illegal. Today, hidden in the basement of the iconic Hallmark Hotel, good food and live jazz combine to form an electric energy on a walk down memory lane. The detailed interior, reminiscent of the jazz club of old, is the space for live jazz, music legends, and entertainment.