Ten Cities: Clubbing in Nairobi, Cairo, Kyiv, Johannesburg, Berlin, Naples, Luanda, Lagos, Bristol, Lisbon, 1960-Present
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A Nocturnal Journey Through Local Histories of Clubbing in Africa and Europe
The image of the DJ dragging his record case through international "non-places" and deejaying in clubs around the globe is a contemporary cliché. But these club scenes have rich, geographically differentiated local histories and cultures. This book expands the focus beyond the North Atlantic clubbing axis of Detroit-Chicago-Manchester-Berlin.
It looks at ten club capitals in Africa and Europe, reporting on different scenes in Bristol, Johannesburg, Cairo, Kyiv, Lagos, Lisbon, Launda, Nairobi and Naples. The local music stories, the scenes, the subcultures and their global networks are reconstructed in 21 essays and photo sequences.
The tale they tell is one of clubs as laboratories of otherness, in which people can experiment with new ways of being and assert their claim to the city. Ten Cities is a nocturnal, sound-driven journey through ten social and urban stories from 1960 through to the present.
What's Inside Ten Cities
This comprehensive exploration features 21 essays that document the evolution of club culture across two continents. Each chapter focuses on a specific city, revealing how local music scenes developed, how subcultures emerged, and how these communities connected globally while maintaining their distinct identities.
The book covers Bristol's influential sound system culture, Johannesburg's post-apartheid club renaissance, Cairo's underground electronic scene, Kyiv's evolving nightlife, Lagos's Afrobeat foundations, Lisbon's diverse musical heritage, Luanda's emerging club culture, Nairobi's vibrant contemporary scene, and Naples's unique Mediterranean club traditions.
Club Culture as Urban History
Ten Cities treats nightclubs as more than entertainment venues. These spaces function as laboratories where people experiment with identity, community, and urban belonging. The book traces how club culture has shaped cities and how cities have shaped their club scenes from 1960 through the present day.
Photo sequences throughout the book provide visual documentation of these scenes, capturing the energy, aesthetics, and cultural significance of each location. The combination of written analysis and photographic evidence creates a multi-dimensional portrait of global club culture.
Product Specifications
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Spector Books
Publication: February 2021
Content: 21 essays with photo sequences
Geographic Coverage: 10 cities across Africa and Europe
Time Period: 1960 to present
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