Pops Mohamed
Pops Mohamed | |
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 Mohamed in 2011 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Ismail Mohamed-Jan 10 December 1949 Benoni, South Africa |
| Died | 4 December 2025 (aged 75) Boksburg, South Africa |
| Genres | |
| Occupations | |
| Instruments | |
| Labels |
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Ismail Mohamed-Jan (10 December 1949 – 4 December 2025), known professionally as Pops Mohamed, was a South African multi-instrumentalist, jazz musician and producer.
Life and career
Born in Benoni, Gauteng, Pops Mohamed had a career in music that was the logical outcome of an early exposure at Dorkay House to the likes of Abdullah Ibrahim and Kippie Moeketsi. Mohamed's father was a Muslim of Portuguese and Indian heritage and his mother was of Xhosa and Khoisan heritage.[1] He grew up in the Indian community of Johannesburg. He started his first band The Valiants, at the age of 14. Known by fans as the "Minister of Music",[2] he played a wide variety of instruments:[3][4] African mouth bow, bird whistle, berimbau, didgeridoo, guitar, keyboard, kora, and the thumb piano. He was also known for his wide range of musical styles which include kwela, pop, and soul.[5] He produced Finding One's Self, the late Moses Taiwa Molelekwa's award-winning album. Pops received a lifetime achievement award in 2023. Pops was also known for visiting a wide number of countries.
Pops also performed regularly with and sat on the board of the Johannesburg Youth Orchestra Company.
Pops had three children, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He died on 4 December 2025, at the age of 75.[6]
Discography
- Kalamazoo – 1991
- Sophiatown Society – 1992 (with Morris Goldberg)
- Ancestral Healing – 1995
- How Far Have We Come – 1996
- Music With No Name – 1996
- Society Vibes – 1997 (with McCoy Mrubatha)
- Timeless – 1997
- Millennium Experience – 2000 (with Zena Edwards)
- Pops Mohamed Meets "The LondonSound Collective" – 1999
- Africa Meltdown – 2001
- Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow – 2002
- Mood Africa – 2005
References
- ^ "Pops Mohamed", The Orbit.
- ^ culturebase.net Archived 16 June 2006 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Hawkins, Seton. "Kalamazoo - Kalamazoo 2". All About Jazz. Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
- ^ Jacobson, Nils (22 December 2003). "South Africa: Sheer Sound". All About Jazz. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
- ^ "Pops Mohamed Biography". Sheer Sound. Archived August 7, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Doreen Molefe (5 December 2025). "Legendary Pops Mohamed passes away!". Daily Sun. Retrieved 30 December 2025.
External links
- Pops Mohamed discography at Discogs
- Pops Mohamed at IMDb