While the Kalamazoo Series of the early 1990s revived Pops Mohamed's long creative journey with bassist Sipho Gumede, it also gave rise to an exciting new collaboration with saxophonist Morris Goldberg and a memorable album entitled Sophiatown Society. Goldberg's association with As-Shams dated back to the label's inaugural release in 1974, providing the third epic sax solo on Abdullah Ibrahim's "Mannenberg" alongside Robbie Jansen and Basil Coetzee.
Like Ibrahim, Goldberg had settled in New York City by the late 1970s. As the pennywhistle soloist on "You Can Call Me Al" from Graceland in 1986, he was part of a pool of South African musicians that Paul Simon enlisted for the Grammy-winning album. Bakithi Kumalo (bass) snd Vusi Khumalo (drums) were also among the Graceland contributors, with Bakithi's fretless pyrotechnics holding down the core rhythm section for much of the album. The cousins had been frequent collaborators since the early 1980s and had backed Masike "Funky" Mohapi on his earliest offerings.
On Sophiatown Society, this unique quartet emerges with a nostalgic, hopeful and beautifully-crafted South African jazz sound for the 1990s. With the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA) beginning to drive the development of a new constitution, principal composer Mohamed steps up with a soulful and healing palette that marked his early forays into weaving traditional instruments and new-age sensibilities into South African jazz.
Keyboards/Mbira - Pops Mohamed
Saxophones/Pennywhistle - Morris Goldberg
Brass/Percussions - Bakithi Kumalo
Drums - Vusi Khumalo
All compositions composed by Pops Mohamed except "Sophiatown Society" composed by Pops Mohamed and Morris Goldberg.
An Original Recording by Sun Music Group
Producer - Pops Mohamed
Recorded and Mixed by Richard Felani Gumbi
Cover Design - Eirfaan Gillan
Photography - Joe Sefale
Executive Producers - Rashid Vally & Eirfaan Gillan
Original Release 1991 • Cat. No. KMH 1003
