Published
Sun, Apr 10, 2022, 10:00
- The studio has relocated to the Bree Street strip in Tamboerskloof.
Hamshack Radio, the newest addition to Cape Town's community radio scene, opened a new studio on April 1st.
Situated on the lively Bree Street strip in Tamboerskloof, the studio marks a new phase for the collective, who have been without a permanent space since a fire destroyed their last studio on December 25th. Fortunately, nobody was harmed in the incident and the Hamshack staff had already stored away the studio's physical components.
Now that they're back on their feet, the collective wants to help local artists circumvent some of the social and economic barriers to cultural access. Music equipment, and electronic goods in general, are much more expensive in South Africa than in Europe.
"Because of its heritage, Cape Town is segregated economically, with a very uneven distribution of wealth creating a very restrictive, systematic society," Hamshack cofounder Filipe Acafrao told Resident Advisor.
The first of these initiatives follows a series of free workshops for femme and queer artists hosted by Hamshack in August 2021. Together with local collective Femmes & Thems, they're launching a series of more expansive four-week mentorship programmes on April 15th.
Founded in August 2020 by Filipe Acafrao, James Morritt-Smith and Ts'epo Adoro, Hamshack joined the likes of Lilies and Globalize Yourself Stereo at the vanguard of South Africa's independent radio scene. The station initially launched remotely with a dozen artists, meaning the founders didn't meet many of their own residents in person until a few months into broadcasting.
Including residents and contributors, Hamshack now encompasses around 120 artists across South Africa, in addition to a handful of worldwide contributors. The shows incorporate homegrown genres such as amapiano, gqom and Cape jazz, as well as other electronic sounds like IDM, modern classical, house, techno and the many modern strands of the hardcore continuum.
The mostly local pool of talent includes Rose Bonica, Worldwide FM DJ Simbad, Off The Meds' Michael Dangerous and NTS Radio host and filmmaker Tania Feghali.
"It feels like there's something in the air at the moment," said Acafrao. "In Cape Town, it's super loose and community-minded, that seems to be the energy. People like The Other Radio and A11 Agency are now starting to figure out how to package what's happening here and share it with the world."
Tune into Hamshack Radio and check out some photos of the launch.
Photo: Fynn Wilson & Athi Maqubela
Photo: Fynn Wilson & Athi Maqubela