Quick country music fans. What’s the significance of Bristol, Tennessee? If you’re really a country music buff, you should know that in 1998, the United Stated Congress named this small, sleepy southern town the birthplace of country music. It all began in the 1700s when the region’s southern Appalachian settlers brought with them—in old world ballads and songs, the music of their native Scottish Highlands. During the 1800’s and early 1900s, the region was separated from outside influences by geography. But around the time of the Civil War it was opened up to the outside world by the advent of railroads. During this time, there were touring vaudeville, minstrel and medicine-show troupes in the community that introduced new forms of music. In addition, the railroad workers themselves brought rapid changes to the settlers’ original music by introducing a variety of work songs reflecting their African heritage. The native fiddle of the English, Scotch, and Irish settlers was joined by the banjo of African origin. After WWI, the guitar, autoharp, and dulcimer were introduced into the mix.

The music that was coming out of Bristol, Tennessee took another giant leap forward with Edison’s invention of the phonograph in the 1920s. A man named Ralph Peer realized that there was an untapped market for rural mountain music and set out to discover area talent. During this time period most musicians traveled to New York to record there music, but when remote recordings became a possibility, Bristol became the hub of Peer’s musical enterprise because of its proximity to such local talent as Ernest and Hattie Stoneman, the Johnson Brothers, and Henry Whitter. Soon talent from other southern states, including West Virginia, Virginia (the Carter Family) and North Carolina (Jimmie Rodgers) was recorded by Peer. These early recording sessions which took place in 1927 were known as the “Bristol Sessions” and signified the birth of country music.

The sound that came out of the “Bristol Sessions” influenced the bluegrass of musicians such as Bill Monroe and Flatt and Scruggs, as well as the song-writing of Hank Williams and Woody Guthrie. This influence could also be seen in the guitar-playing of Roy Acuff and Chet Atkins, in the sound of Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan, and in the song-stylings of Hank Snow, Ernest Tubb, Merle Travis, Merle Haggard, Dwight Yoakum and Dolly Parton. This country music sound became extremely popular during the “barn dance” shows of the radio era and bluegrass festivals of the 1960s and 70s. In the mid-1990s, the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance (BCMA) was founded in Bristol to call attention to and support the musical traditions of the area.

Today, nestled between quiet mountains, Bristol is thriving community with the unique quality of being located in two states–half in Tennessee and half in Virginia. However, there is no question that Bristol stands at the heart of all country music fans hold near and dear.

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Cape Town is a formidable venue for night-time revellers with its vast selection of bars, restaurants, live music venues and trendy night clubs.

The city itself is home to a consummate array of chic nightspots but so too is the Camps Bay strip and the V&A Waterfront, all within easy range of the luxurious waterfront apartments so popular with visitors.

Diverse live music

Live music reflects the diversity of the Mother City, where the pulse and rhythm of the African drumbeat rivals that of world class jazz, rock ‘n roll, trance, hip hop and a whole lot more.

Jazz fans have their traditional hangouts at the Waterfront, Rylands and Gugulethu and each year one of the world’s biggest Jazz festivals is hosted by the city.

Long Street – the iconic night club experience

Long Street is the iconic night club experience with new, exciting venues opening virtually every year. For cutting edge music and trendy dance venues, simply stroll along the street and pop into whichever club catches your fancy. There are also numerous bars, bistros and top flight restaurants in the area, making it a one-stop venue for the night owl.

For foot stomping, hip grinding and all-night partying, Green Point is the chosen destination of the gay fraternity, but for a ‘live’ music experience there are a few venues favoured by the locals:

The Old Biscuit Factory in Woodstock Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens – hosts Sunday evening concerts during the summer The Forest Amphitheatre – at an Elgin wine estate

The ‘Beach Strip’ in Camps Bay

The ‘Beach Strip’ along the Camps Bay shoreline is a must for visitors to Cape Town. The small section of Victoria Road is literally packed with beach bars, sidewalk cafés, cocktail bars and restaurants. This is the perfect venue to enjoy a Cape sunset. Simply pick one of the trendy lounges, order that Martini, Long Island Iced Tea or a bottle of the best Cape wine and settle back to watch the sundown “show”.

On the other side of the mountain in the Southern suburbs are the more traditional, English-style pubs that offer fantastic pub grub in a garden setting. One of the oldest inns in Cape Town is located on Newlands Avenue and is a big hit with the University of Cape Town students as well as sports fans who flock to the area over the week-end to watch rugby or cricket at the nearby stadiums.