As-Shams/The Sun Records

POPS MOHAMED (1949-2025)

5 December 2025: We join countless others whose lives were touched by the gentle spirit of Pops Mohamed (1949-2025) to pay the deepest of tributes to a life dedicated to music. To be sure, Pops Mohamed was far more than just an esteemed composer and multi-instrumentalist with a professional career that stretched over half a century. He understood the profound role that music plays in bringing people together, healing the soul and illuminating the transcendent. He loved people, believed that each and every one of us play an important role in making the world a better place and tirelessly dedicated himself to embodying and sharing this powerful message. With gratitude for his proud musical legacy, we bid farewell to a creative force and spiritual mentor and offer our condolences to his beloved family and friends.

MOVEMENT IN THE CITY - Movement in the City 3

Transitioning from Black Disco through Movement in the City to releasing albums as a solo artist, Pops Mohamed's 20-year trajectory through the As-Shams catalogue is second to none. Coming in the wake of the Black Disco compilation Discovery 1975-1976, Movement in the City 3 is an archival release that spans the late-70s and early-80s and assembles hidden gems from Mohamed's second progressive South African jazz ensemble.

Featuring four outtakes (three of which are previously unreleased) as well as an alternate version of a track from the band's self-titled debut of 1979 and a single edit from its 1981 follow-up Black Teardrops, Movement in the City 3 provides the long-awaited final instalment of a trilogy that echoes the three-album output of Black Disco. Alongside Mohamed on organ are stalwart compatriots Sipho Gumede (bass) and Basil Coetzee (tenor sax/flute) as well as Robbie Jansen (alto sax) and three fine drummers by way of Gilbert Matthews, Roger Harry and Monty Weber. That these extraordinary recordings didn't find their way onto an album in the 1980s is testament to the depth of quality produced at the time.

Movement in the City 3 is Volume 6 in a series of compilations and previously unreleased recordings from As-Shams Archive that include Tete Mbambisa's African Day (2024) and Kippie Moeketsi's Hard Top (2025).

1. Can't Think 08:20

2. Philly Sound 05:21

3. Jackie (Flute Version) 05:07

4. Eventide (Happy Feelin') 08:30

5. Monty's Groove 03:32

6. Lament (Single Version) 06:18

DIGITAL ALBUM

Tracks 1, 2, 5: Previously unreleased Movement in the City outtakes.

Track 3: An alternate version of "Jackie" featuring Basil Coetzee on flute instead of tenor sax from Movement in the City's self-titled debut of 1979.

Track 4: Movement in the City outtake renamed and issued as "Happy Feelin'" on the Pops Mohamed album Kalamazoo in 1990.

Track 6: Single edit issued in 2020 of the album opener "Lament" from Movement in the City's 1981 album Black Teardrops.

TRACKS 1, 3:

Organ – Pops Mohamed

Flute – Basil Coetzee

Bass – Sipho Gumede

Drums – Gilbert Matthews

TRACKS 2, 4, 6:

Organ, Fender Rhodes, Synth – Pops Mohamed

Tenor Sax, Flute – Basil Coetzee

Alto Sax – Robbie Jansen

Bass – Sipho Gumede

Drums – Roger Harry

TRACK 5:

Organ – Pops Mohamed

Tenor Sax – Basil Coetzee

Bass – Sipho Gumede

Drums – Monty Weber

All Tracks Composed by Pops Mohamed

Sessions Produced by Rashid Vally

Tape Transfers by Rob Allingham

Remastered by Richard Vossgatter

Design and Layout by Ash Pederick

Compiled & Produced by Calum MacNaughton

(with direction from Pops Mohamed)

Cat. No. ASA106

BATSUMI - Batsumi 77

A primer for the legendary Afro-jazz group Batsumi and a gateway to their two classic albums with edited versions of tracks from the original releases.

Adapting the playlist and artwork of a compilation issued in 1977, Batsumi 77 features remastered tracks from the band's self-titled debut of 1974 and its follow-up Moving Along from 1976. While the 1977 versions of the shortened tracks employed clumsy fade-outs, Batsumi 77 revisits the editing process in 2025 with the precision and creativity offered by modern audio tools.

Batsumi 77 arrives on the cusp of the band's 50th anniversary celebration in 2026 and opens a path to the As-Shams Archive remasters collection The Hunters 1974-1976.

All Tracks Composed by Batsumi

Tracks 1, 2, 3 originally issued on the album Batsumi (1974)

Tracks 4, 5, 6 originally issued on the album Moving Along (1976)

1, 2, 4, 5 are edited versions of tracks from the original albums

Remastered by Noah Mintz

Edits by Richard Vossgatter

Compiled and Produced by Calum MacNaughton

(with direction from John Mothopeng)

Cat. No. KRS 203

DIGITAL ALBUM

KIPPIE MOKETSI - Hard Top

As-Shams Archive Vol. 5: Kippie Moketsi - Hard Top

Hard Top assembles the previously unreleased 1975 recordings of revered South African saxophonist Kippie Moeketsi (credited most commonly during the 1970s using the spelling variation Moketsi). The 2LP vinyl edition is presented in a gatefold sleeve featuring archival artwork by Mafa Ngwenya and comes from As-Shams/The Sun on the heels of Tete Mbambisa's African Day album in 2024.

By 1975, at the age of 50, saxophonist Kippie Moeketsi had already earned his stripes as a South African jazz figurehead. His tenure with the Jazz Epistles and the cast of the "South African Jazz Opera" King Kong in the late-1950s had not only marked his own rise in prominence but also seen him help catalyse the momentum of a younger generation of iconic artists who would go on to become the defining figures of modern South African jazz. While he didn't enjoy the same international attention as his protégés Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela and Abdullah Ibrahim, his noble and dedicated career on the local jazz scene until his death in 1983 saw him forge an enduring legacy.

Owing to the efforts of record producer Rashid Vally, Kippie Moeketsi's journey through the 1970s is beautifully documented, most notably on the albums Dollar Brand + 3 (1973), Tshona! (1975) and Blue Stompin' (1977), in which he shares the spotlight with Abdullah Ibrahim, Pat Matshikiza and Hal Singer respectively. As a featured performer on Soul of the City's Diagonal Street (1975) and Dennis Mpale's Our Boys are Doing It (1977), Moeketsi is seen embracing the popular orientations of South African jazz in 1970s but, having come up in the 1940s and 1950s, he never forgot his roots as an admirer and dedicated scholar of Classic American Jazz.

While Moeketsi did write some memorable compositions, it was in the role of interpreter that he shone most brightly. With its title derived from a good-natured nickname that nodded to Moeketsi's elder status by way of his receding hairline, Hard Top is a covers album that looks back in time to the era of rhythm and blues while also indulging 1970s pop and funk with a decidedly South African vibe.

Marking the 100th anniversary of Kippie Moeketsi's brith on 27 July 1925 and officially joining his catalogue 50 years after it was recorded, Hard Top celebrates the multiple dimensions of a veritable South African jazz legend. The release also provides an opportunity to reflect on the unwavering support of his producer, fan and friend Rashid Vally, who passed away in December 2024.

A1. It Was a Very Good Year (E. Drake) 06.50

A2. Swallowin' the Blues (K. Graham) 13.19

B1. New Cambridge Blues (H. Baker, C. Hodges) 11.45

B2. Untitled (By Dennis Mpale) (D. Mpale) 06.08

C. I Can See Clearly Now (J. Nash) 17.18

D1. Black Frost (B. James, G. Washington) 06.44

D2. Wavy Gravy (K. Burrell) 11.22

Alto Sax – KIPPIE MOKETSI *

Tenor Sax – DUKE MAKASI

Bass – SIPHO GUMEDE

Drums – GILBERT MATTHEWS

A1, A2, A3 – Undated / Engineer: Robin Ritchie

Piano – PAT MATSHIKIZA

A4 – Dated 18 August 1975

C, D1, D2 – Dated 2 October 1975

Alto Sax – BARNEY RACHABANE

Piano – JABU NKOSI

Guitar – ENOCH MTHALENI

Trumpet – DENNIS MPALE

Recorded in 1975 at Gallo Sound Studios,

Johannesburg, South Africa

Produced by RASHID VALLY

Cover Artwork by MAFA NGWENYA

ON VINYL EDITION

Gatefold Artwork by MAFA NGWENYA

Back Cover Photo by EVANS MAKAPANA MBOWENI

Tape Transfers by Rob Allingham

Audio Mastering by Noah Mintz

Design and Layout by Rouleaux van der Merwe

Compiled and Produced by Calum MacNaughton

Executive Producer: Rashid Vally

* NOTE ON SPELLING

Moeketsi is the standard version of the South African family name and the spelling most commonly used when referring to Kippie. Physical and digital editions of Hard Top apply the spelling variant Moketsi, which was used for Kippie's artist credits throughout the 1970s, appearing on the albums Dollar Brand + 3 (1973), Tshona! (1975), Sikiza Matshikiza (1976), Blue Stompin' (1977) and Our Boys are Doing It (1977). It is not known why this variant was adopted but it remains in use for his As-Shams Archive discography while general commentary about Kippie defers to the standard spelling.

Cat. No. ASA105

DIGITAL ALBUM

DENNIS MPALE - Our Boys Are Doing It

By the mid-1970s, trumpeter Dennis Mpale was a consummate musician with an auspicious resume that located him at all the key turning points in the evolution of modern South African jazz. In his mid-20s, he led the trumpet section of Chris McGregor’s Castle Lager Big Band and participated in the ensemble’s landmark 1963 album Jazz/The African Sound. 1968 saw him recording I Remember Nick with The Soul Giants, which joined a wave of notable late-1960s releases, including The Mankunku Quartet’s Yakhal' Inkomo and The Chris Schilder Quintet’s Spring, that ignited the ambitions of South African jazz artists and producers in the 1970s. In 1975, Mpale co-founded the “rock jazz” ensemble Roots, inaugurating the era of jazz fusion in South Africa and opening the door for Pacific Express and Spirits Rejoice.

By 1977, Mpale had earned the right to an album of his own and, having participated in the 1975 recording of Abdullah Ibrahim’s African Herbs, turned to producer Rashid Vally of the As-Shams/The Sun label for his solo debut. Vally financed the project and seized an opportunity to license it to the local subsidiary of a major international label. As such, Our Boys Are Doing It was issued in South Africa on the Mercury label in 1977. Featuring saxophone heavyweight Kippie Moeketsi, the album was a response to the global direction taken by trumpeter Hugh Masekela on The Boy's Doin' It in 1975. In contrast, seeped in the bump jive style of popular urban township music, Our Boys Are Doing It was a manifesto for an authentic, exuberant, homegrown variety of South African jazz.

While solo releases often dispensed with collaborator credits, crediting “the boys” as the album’s backing group pointed towards a collectivist, albeit gendered, conception of South African jazz as a form of cultural production. Mpale was also interested in the title’s veiled reference to the underground armed resistance to Apartheid and he would go on to spend much of the 1980s as a political exile in Botswana. This said, musicians often worked incognito for contractual reasons and producer Rashid Vally himself obscured his involvement on the credits of the Mercury release of Our Boys Are Doing It to avoid any blowback from his regular distributor. While it is believed that “the boys” included the rhythm section of the album Tshona! with Pat Matshikiza on piano, Alec Khaoli on bass and Sipho Mabuse on drums, guitar and additional saxophone contributions remain subject to speculation.

We Are Busy Bodies’ 2025 edition of Our Boys Are Doing It is sourced from the original analog masters and restores the album to its rightful place as an essential part of the As-Shams/The Sun catalogue. This title is the final instalment of a ten-part reissue series that remembers and celebrates beloved figures in the story of South African jazz and honours the passion, work and legacy of label founder Rashid Vally, who passed away in December 2024.

DENNIS MPALE – Trumpet (Leader)

KIPPIE MOKETSI – Alto Sax

AND THE BOYS

All compositions by Dennis Mpale

Artwork by Abdul Kader

Produced by Rashid Vally

Cat. No. SRK897250

THEMBA - Themba

A nugget of rare South African groove originally issued alongside Bra Sello on the Soweto label in Johannesburg in 1976. A self-titled offering and the group's only album, Themba delivers the quintessential blend of sophisticated jazz improvisation over hip-swinging township pop that gives South African jazz from the 1970s its timeless appeal.

Themba features a skilled ensemble led by Baba “Themba” Mokoena, who appeared on Dick Khoza's landmark Chapita album in 1975 and has gone on to earn a reputation (over the course of a career that spans into the 2020s) as one of the legendary guitarists of his generation. Reissued for the very first time on the cusp of its 50th anniversary, Cinedelic's 2025 edition of Themba is sourced from the original master tapes under license from As-Shams Archive.

Recorded at Satbel Recording Studios

Produced by Greg Siphi Ngcobo

Engineered by Paul Dobbe

Originally issued on the Soweto label

Cat. No. SWA 14017

Themba Mokoena photographed in Green Point, Cape Town in November 2021

(Photo Credit: Calum MacNaughton)

BLACK DISCO - Black Disco & Black Disco 3

With a Yamaha organ and a dream, Pops Mohamed started his musical journey in mid-1970s South Africa as the founder of Black Disco, creating a hip and innovative blend of chill-out jazz with spiritual overtones. Playing original compositions as well as reimagined soul and pop hits, the group appeared on producer Rashid Vally's As-Shams/The Sun label alongside Abdullah Ibrahim and Harari.

On the band's self-titled debut from 1975, Mohamed's cosmic organ is supported by two of the most sought-after session players on the South African jazz scene, Cape Town's sax and flute wizard Basil Coetzee, who had risen to fame in 1974 as one of the soloists on the hit “Mannenberg,” and Sipho Gumede, the young bass prodigy from the city of Durban. The album is a mostly downtempo affair with the drum machine on Mohamed’s organ laying down the beat while the trio soars in blissful improvisational territory.

Bassist Peter Odendaal and drummer Monty Weber join Mohamed and Coetzee for Black Disco 3 in 1976, preserving the New Age lounge aesthetic but allowing the group to flex their jazz chops more adventurously. “Spiritual Feeling” from the debut album is revamped as “Spiritual Feeling Riding the Blue” but the album opener “Dawn” is the centrepiece – a trippy, flute-driven awakening that unfolds over a period of ten minutes.

BLACK DISCO (1975)

Organ - Pops Mohamed

Flute / Tenor Sax - Basil Coetzee

Bass - Sipho Gumede

BLACK DISCO 3 (1976)

Organ / Guitar - Pops Mohamed

Flute / Tenor Sax - Basil Coetzee

Bass - Peter Odendaal

Drums / Bongos - Monty Weber

TETE MBAMBISA - African Day

As-Shams Archive Vol. 4: Tete Mbambisa - African Day

Awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Cape Town in 2023, pianist Tete Mbambisa (82) is a legendary figure in South African jazz. Supported by the cream of the local scene, his albums from the 1970s are among the most cherished vinyl documents from this golden era. A monumental archival undertaking, African Day compiles unreleased recordings from 1976 to resurrect a "lost" Tete Mbambisa double album that falls between his seminal works Tete's Big Sound (1975) and Did You Tell Your Mother (1979).

Born in 1942 and raised in South Africa's Eastern Cape province, Tete Mbambisa’s childhood home served as an informal tavern where social gatherings orbited around the family's carefully curated music collection with live performances by a local pianist. Growing up in this environment, his musical roots are embedded in marabi, the syncopated piano sound that blended cues from American jazz, blues and ragtime with the cultural sensibilities that shape modern South African jazz.

A self-taught musician, it was as leader of the vocal group The Four Yanks in the early 1960s that Tete Mbambisa’s music career began in earnest. With encouragement from Abdullah Ibrahim, he dedicated himself to the piano and went on to record with The Soul Jazzmen in 1969. Mbambisa's two solo recordings from the 1970s were produced by Rashid Vally for the independent As-Shams/The Sun record label. With an abundance of strong material but limited resources, some of the label's prospective releases were not issued at the time of recording. Featuring the intended artwork commissioned for the project in 1976, African Day marks the first major unveiling of unreleased gems from the As-Shams master tape archive.

A. African Day 17:41

B1. Khumbula Jane 3:25

B2. Siviwe 5:13

B3. Kohinoor 5:12

B4. Mr. Mecca 4:58

C1. Siyanda 6:44

C2. Umsenge 7.55

D1. Relaxin' 8:49

D2. Untitled (For Duke Makasi) 6:22

Piano – TETE MBAMBISA

Bass – SIPHO GUMEDE

Drums – GILBERT MATTHEWS

Tenor Sax – DUKE MAKASI

Tenor Sax / Flute – BASIL COETZEE (A, B)

Alto Sax – BARNEY RACHABANE (A, B)

Trumpet – DENNIS MPALE

A, B

Recorded 27 February 1976 at Satbel Studios

Johannesburg, South Africa

Recording Engineer: Peter Thwaites

C, D

Unannotated session recorded in 1976.

Composed by TETE MBAMBISA

(except "Khumbula Jane" by Mackay Davashe)

Produced by RASHID VALLY

Cover Artwork by ZULU BIDI

(sourced courtesy Chris Albertyn)

ON PHYSICAL EDITIONS

Back Cover Photo by IAN BRUCE HUNTLEY

(under license from african.pictures)

Gatefold Photo by PERS ENGLUND

(used with permission)

Tape Transfers by Rob Allingham

Audio Mastering by Noah Mintz

Design & Layout by Rouleaux van der Merwe

Compiled & Produced by Calum MacNaughton

(with direction from Tete Mbambisa & Rashid Vally)

Cat. No. ASA104

DIGITAL ALBUM

AS-SHAMS ARCHIVE VOL. 1

As-Shams Archive Vol. 1: South African Jazz, Funk & Soul 1975-1982

As-Shams Archive Vol. 1 introduces the core catalogue of As-Shams/The Sun, the independent record label that documented some of the most exciting developments in jazz, funk and soul from South Africa in the 1970s. With 10 tracks from 10 iconic albums featuring 10 different artists and 10 original compositions, this compilation delivers 85 minutes of South African music history.

Including essential tracks by the likes of Dick Khoza, Black Disco and Harari, remastered from the original analog tapes, As-Shams Archive Vol. 1 is an unbeatable introduction to South African rare groove for new listeners as well as a long-awaited first anthology for the label’s many devoted followers.

DIGITAL ALBUM

1. KIPPIE MOKETSI – “Umgababa” (K. Moketsi)

From the album Tshona! (1975)

Alto Sax - Kippie Moketsi, Tenor Sax – Basil Coetzee, Piano – Pat Matshikiza, Bass – Alec Khaoli, Drums – Sipho Mabuse.

2. PAT MATSHIKIZA – “Dreams are Wonderful” (P. Matshikiza)

From the album Sikiza Matshikiza (1976)

Piano – Pat Matshikiza, Alto Sax – Kippie Moketsi, Tenor Sax – Duku Makasi, Trumpet – George Tyefumani, Guitar – Sandile Shange, Bass – Sipho Gumede, Drums – Gilbert Matthews.

3. TETE MBAMBISA – “Umthsakazi (The Bride)” (T. Mbambisa)

From the album Tete’s Big Sound (1976)

Piano – Tete Mbambisa, Alto Sax – Barney Rachabane, Tenor Sax – Duku Makasi/Aubrey Simani, Baritone Sax – Freeman Lambatha, Trumpet – Tex Nduluka, Guitar – Enoch Mthalane, Bass – Sipho Gumede, Drums – Dick Khoza.

4. DICK KHOZA – “Lilongwe” (D. Khoza)

From the album Chapita (1975)

Drums – Dick Khoza/Negro Mathunjwa, Tenor & Soprano Sax – Ezra Ngcukana, Tenor Sax – Aubrey Simani/Khaya Mahlangu, Alto Sax - Teaspoon Noel, Trumpet – Themba Mehlomakulu, Trombone – Willie Nettie, Electric Piano – Mac Mathunjwa, Lead Guitar – Themba Mokoena, Rhythm Guitar – Joe Zikhali, Bass Guitar – Bethuel Maphumulo.

5. MIKE MAKHALEMELE – “Spring is Here” (M. Makhalemele)

From the album Blue Mike (1982)

Tenor Sax – Mike Makhalemele, Organ – Jabu Nkosi, Bass – Zulu Bidi, Drums – Nelson Magwaza.

6. BLACK DISCO – “Night Express” (B. Coetzee)

From the album Night Express (1976)

Organ – Pops Mohamed, Flute & Tenor Sax – Basil Coetzee, Bass – Sipho Gumede, Drums – Peter Morake.

7. LIONEL PILLAY – “Blues for Yusef” (L. Pillay)

From the album Deeper in Black (1980)

Piano – Lionel Pillay, Alto Sax – Barney Rachabane, Tenor & Soprano Sax – Duku Makasi, Bass – Sipho Gumede, Drums – Gilbert Matthews.

8. HARARI – “Musikana” (S. Ntuli, A. Khaoli, S. Mabuse)

From the album Rufaro (1976)

Vocals – Selby Ntuli/Alec Khaoli/Sipho Mabuse, Alto Sax – Barney Rachabane, Trumpet – Stompie Manana, Lead Guitar – Themba Mokoena, Keyboard – Selby Ntuli, Bass – Alec Khaoli, Drums – Sipho Mabuse.

9. MOVEMENT IN THE CITY – “Blue Sunday” (P. Mohamed)

From the album Movement in the City (1979)

Piano – Pops Mohamed, Tenor Sax – Basil Coetzee, Bass – Peter Odendaal, Drums – Monty Weber.

10. SATHIMA BEA BENJAMIN – “Music” (B. Benjamin)

From the album African Songbird (1976)

Vocals – Sathima Bea Benjamin, Flute – Basil Coetzee, Bass - Louis Spears/Basil Moses/Lionel Beukes, Drums - Doug Sides/Monty Weber.

Cover Photograph by RALPH NDAWO

Gatefold Artwork (Vinyl Edition) by HARGREAVES NTUKWANA

Audio Mastering by Noah Mintz

Design Layout by Rouleaux van der Merwe

Compiled & Produced by Calum MacNaughton

Executive Producer: Rashid Vally

Cat. No. ASA101

℗ 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1982 As-Shams/The Sun

As-Shams Archive is home to the catalogues of As-Shams/The Sun, its predecessor Soultown Records and the reissue imprint MANDLA. The archive holds original master tapes, unreleased recordings, photographs, artwork and ephemera documenting the story of South African jazz in the 1970s.

SPIRITS REJOICE - Spirits Rejoice!

The 1970s is regarded as a period of experimentation, boundary-breaking and hybridization in modern music and this spirit certainly informed the mushrooming of ideas that occurred in South African jazz during this time. In the shadow of more commercial township jive and soul, South African jazz evolved on the fringe, nurtured by passionate and enterprising independent producers who courted the interest of the mainstream with enchanting concoctions of jazz with folk, rock, soul and funk.

With a lineup hailing from far-flung regions of South Africa, the mercurial sound of Spirits Rejoice and its willingness to weave a patchwork of different influences into its recordings is not hard to account for. More difficult to reconcile is that the band didn’t manage to level up to the status enjoyed by its peers in larger music markets abroad. Nevertheless, Spirits Rejoice has maintained its revered status in the collective memory of South African jazz for over four decades and their recorded artifacts return in the 2020s with the group’s vitality and energy undiminished.

Tenor Sax – Duke Makasi

Alto Sax/Flute/Vocals – Robbie Jansen

Trumpet – George Tyefumani/Thabo Mashishi

Piano – Mervyn Africa

Guitar – Paul Petersen

Bass – Sipho Gumede

Drums – Gilbert Matthews

Backing Vocals – Joy

Originally issued on Jo'Burg Records

Cat. No. TJC 13029