Label Focus – As-Shams/THE SUN

The go to label for vintage and retro South African jazz

As-Shams – or THE SUN if you prefer your label names in English – started life in Johannesburg in the 1960s, concentrating on the burgeoning jazz scene and establishing itself soon after as “synonymous with South African jazz from the 1970s”. Having enjoyed a second life via CD reissues in the 90s, it’s back for a third bite of the cherry as a new team – guided by their founder, now in his 80s – works to get the gems from its catalogue back into print on vinyl, both through their label and via a global network of like minded stables. Calum MacNaughton from the label kindly told us more….

WHAT’S THE NAME OF YOUR LABEL, AND WHO RUNS IT?
As-Shams is the name of the label – it’s the Arabic word for the Sun. It’s best described as a label family with As-Shams/The Sun representing the core catalogue, Soultown representing the early years (pre-1974), and Mandla representing partnerships and acquisitions. The original founder of the label was a record store owner and jazz enthusiast named Rashid Vally, now in his 80s, who still plays an active role as executive director.

WHEN & WHY DID THE LABEL START?
The label was established in Johannesburg as a home for independent South African jazz in the wake of a wave of important recordings that invigorated the local jazz scene in the late 1960s. The label’s first serious jazz release was Gideon Nxumalo’s Early-Mart (KRS 107) on Soultown in 1970. The inaugural As-Shams/The Sun release was Mannenberg – ‘Is Where It’s Happening’ (SRK 786134) by Abdullah Ibrahim, who was recording as Dollar Brand at the time.

GIVE US A BRIEF SUMMARY OF WHAT YOU’VE RELEASED SINCE THEN….
As-Shams/The Sun documented the independent South African jazz scene from 1970 to 1982, platforming practically all the important figures of the era from Kippie Moeketsi to Tete Mbambisa to Pops Mohamed (by way of the groups Black Disco and Movement in the City). The label went through a reissue cycle in South Africa in the 1990s during the CD era. Since 2010, the label has partnered with boutique imprints internationally to get the catalogue back on vinyl and available internationally.

WHAT QUALITIES ARE YOU LOOKING FOR IN THE MUSIC YOU RELEASE?
As-Shams is synonymous with South African jazz from the 1970s, so our lens is genre, region, and period specific. Nevertheless, the catalogue casts a wide net and we also represent some works from the 1990s as well as new artist releases from as recent as 2020. As an archival catalogue, we seek to preserve releases as they were originally conceived and presented. We go to great lengths to ensure that audio (for the most part sourced from master tapes from our vault) and artwork is beautifully restored.

WHAT KIND OF VISUAL IDENTITY DOES THE LABEL HAVE (ARTWORK, VIDEOS ETC)?
Our label logo is an iconic feature on most of our sleeves – a small black banner with the red circle, Arabic text, and the words As-Shams/The Sun. For us, this is as important as the Blue Note oval and rectangle or the Impulse exclamation marks and it’s the closest we have in South Africa to a recognisable jazz brand. Many As-Shams releases also feature the works of artist Hargreaves Ntukwana, an abstract expressionist with an instantly recognisable style. On the whole, the label aesthetic is graphic yet minimal – a thoughtful engagement between art and music.

WHAT’S BEEN YOUR BIGGEST SELLING RELEASE TO DATE?  TELL US A BIT ABOUT IT AND WHY YOU THINK IT WAS SO POPULAR.
We haven’t had what could be described as a breakout release during our latest reissue cycle since 2010. Everything we have put out has been warmly received by the jazz community in South Africa as well as music adventurers from around the world who are exploring South African jazz for the first time. We are currently preparing our first label compilation, which we know will create waves and open doors. We want to create a timeless set that will sit comfortably in any record collection worth its salt.

NAME ONE RELEASE THAT YOU THINK DESERVED TO GET MORE ATTENTION THAN IT DID
There’s phenomenal work being done in music preservation throughout the world and we’re grateful for all and any attention and support. Many of our vinyl releases are limited to 500 copies, platform exquisite independent musicians, and are likely to accrue value, which makes us proud. Our new artist release uGaba the Migration (SRK 897246) by Sisonke Xonti is heralded as a must-have release in South Africa with local copies selling out immediately but remains a little slept on internationally.

Seek it out on vinyl if you want to own what will no doubt become a piece of South African jazz history. At the very least, give it a spin on a streaming platform.

IF YOU COULD SIGN ANY ARTIST, ALIVE OR DEAD, WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE AND WHY?
Given the resources, we would love to produce new works by South African jazz stalwarts like Feya Faku, Herbie Tsoaeli, and Hilton Schilder. Our remit, however, is to preserve and ensure that South African jazz recordings from the past are part of a living legacy in the present that helps support and guide South African jazz in the
future.

WHICH OTHER LABELS DO YOU ADMIRE AND WHY?
We truly admire and appreciate the good people we have partnered with. Rush Hour in the Netherlands has been wonderfully supportive as a distributor. Matsuli Music in the UK has done exquisite annotated reissues of some of the more commercially resonant titles while We Are Busy Bodies in Canada is working on a series of remastered album reproductions that resurrect lesser-known works from the catalogue. As-Shams recordings also appear on Eating Standing (Italy) and Mad About Records (Portugal) with works on the way from Jazz Room (UK) and Frederiksberg Records (USA).

WHAT CAN WE LOOK TO FROM YOUR LABEL NEXT?
Our label compilation As-Shams Archive Vol. 1 is on the cards for 2023.

Up next though is the killer 1979 self-titled debut from Movement in the City, which will appear on Sharp-Flat Records.

Those who know will recall the reissue of the Black Teardrops album in 2020. By popular demand, Sharp-Flat now resurrects the band’s first offering, which blends Cape jazz with funk to create a hip library record for South Africa in the 1980s. Basil Coetzee’s sax wails, Sipho Gumede’s bass tone is baked to perfection and Pops Mohamed’s keys sparkle and soar. We have another first pressing of just 500 copies so keep your eyes peeled.

Noah Sparkes