On May 26, a place that for so many of us was not just a shop, but truly another world, has closed its doors for good. Farewell Musica…
I remember Musica being one of my favourite, and often strategically planned stops on any shopping trip, writes Cape {town} Etc’s Ashleigh Nefdt.
It was the highlight of many of my mall meanders. For the eager eyes and ears of a child, it was a place where I came alive, the source of so many of my favourite musical treasures and beyond.
My parents had been avid music lovers, and so my childhood was largely spent trying to curate a CD collection that would one day compete with theirs. Unfortunately, iPods did snuff that dream out.
However, for the part of my life where CDs were still a huge asset to music culture, Musica was the kingdom.
Whether it was just seeing what exciting new releases were in store, or spending my pocket money on a CD wallet (cue a memory you thought you’d forgotten), Musica had my back. It was a place where my inner-muso could spend hours physically touching the music that would become the soundtrack to my younger years.
I have absolutely no regrets that my last CD purchases from Musica were Tha Carter III and the Hannah Montana 2 soundtrack. I was a musically curious, not-genre-bound kid, what can I say.
Let’s not forget the inner-geek that Musica also brought out in a lot of us. It was a place where the gaming and paraphernalia aspect of my life could flourish proudly. What with all the collectibles, memorabilia and weird and wonderful curations of my favourite fandoms. As an alleged adult, it was still one of my favourite sneaky stops on a trip to the shops.
From the poster rack that left me in long debates over whether my next set of wall art should be Harry Potter or Star Wars themed, to marvelling at the video games and CDs that filled my childhood with endless wonder, to all the vinyl records I wish I’d bought, and every single Funko Pop that decorated old apartments of mine, with one passing nest earning the nickname, ‘Mini-Musica’. All of it was brilliant.
According to Texx and the City who cites Reuters, the closing of the brand came after years of trailing the digital shift in the model of music consumption.
Additionally, the COVID-19 grim reaper accelerated the Clicks Groups’ decision to close any remaining store as of this year. The Clicks Group is the parent store of the company. Or was, rather.
“Music has been operating in a declining market,” Clicks indicated.
As wonderful as it is to have access to so much music digitally, (I won’t deny that I love tuning into Apple Music, Spotify and Soundcloud) there is undoubtably something about the tangible experience that will be missed – the true end of a different time that has me wishing I had been a part of the era for longer.
To the store that brought a lot of us so much joy, it is a heartfelt farewell.
Picture: Unsplash