SA: Veteran multi-instrumentalist Pops Mohamed dead at 75

At the time of writing, details regarding the cause of death had not been confirmed. Veteran journalist and media trainer Gwen Ansell confirmed Mohamed’s passing in a detailed obituary, which explored his humble beginnings and the profound impact his music had on South Africa’s music landscape.

Artists and music professionals took to social media to convey their condolences following news of the artist’s passing.

“My dear old friend Pops Mohamed has passed,” Cultural activist Guy Lieberman wrote on social media. “A purer soul you could not have met. Here is a man who will be welcomed into the heavenly choir, bringing all his many traditional instruments along with him.”

SAMRO wrote: “SAMRO is saddened by the passing of legendary South African multi-instrumentalist and musical visionary Pops Mohamed. He leaves behind a rich catalogue of more than 20 albums and a lasting legacy of musical unity, mentorship, and creative freedom. SAMRO extends heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, collaborators, and the broader music community.”

London-based South African composer, Eugene Skeef wrote: “I just heard via Mirza Parker that our beloved brother Pops Mohamed is no longer bodily with us. May the beautiful melodies of his kora continue to sparkle like cosmic stars in our lives.”

Activist and creative artist Firdoze Bulbulia wrote: “Uncle Pops Mohamed, your generosity of spirit, your depth of commitment and varied inspiration and love will live on in all of us who encountered your beauty.”

In 2020, the Music In Africa Foundation (MIAF) featured Pops Mohamed at its Vibrations concert, alongside Morena Leraba, Sibusile Xaba. Reflecting on the event, MIAF Projects Manager Violet Maila described Mohamed as a custodian of cultural memory, whose contributions to the preservation of indigenous knowledge will continue to inspire generations of artists, instrument makers and cultural workers.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Pops Mohamed,” Maila told Music In Africa. “He was deeply passionate about our heritage and preserving the music and practices of the continent at large. In the throngs of COVID-19, the Music In Africa Foundation was honoured to collaborate with him for a second time on our Vibrations concert as part of our Instrument Building and Repair project, a project that aligned closely with his lifelong mission to protect and preserve African traditional instruments. We are grateful for the moments we shared with him and for the light he brought to our work.”

Born in Benoni, east of Johannesburg, Pops Mohamed was widely regarded as South Africa’s ‘unofficial minister of music’, a pioneering multi-instrumentalist, producer and cultural archivist whose career spanned more than four decades. From his teenage years founding The Les Valiants to early success with Children’s Society, and later acclaim for albums such as Kalamazoo, Sophiatown Society and the award-winning Ancestral Healing, Mohamed consistently bridged traditional African sounds with contemporary genres including jazz, funk, trance and drum ’n’ bass.

In the 1990s, his work with the San communities of the Kalahari shaped some of his most influential recordings, including How Far Have We Come. He toured extensively across Africa, Europe, Asia and the United States, while advocating for the preservation and evolution of indigenous music.