Cape Town – A fusion of ancient sounds played with modern instruments is how multi-instrumentalist and jazz guitarist Pops Mohamed and his band celebrate “our culture”.
Mohamed and his band will be performing at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival this weekend
Mohamed not only explores ancient cultures and their sounds but also modern technology which assists him in his quest to preserve indigenous music.
“We haven’t even unearthed a fraction of our heritage of sounds that we can use to create our own voice and make a difference. We are all passionate about buying American or British music.
“We have to get to a level where visitors or people overseas want to buy our music with the same passion,” he said.
Mohamed said he has been deeply moved by being part of San storytelling and trance dances around the fire in the Kalahari Desert which he visits twice a year.
Every story has rhythm and there is nothing Mohamed enjoys more than jamming with the people whose sounds he records.
Africa has multi-layered rhythms that has deeper meaning. San trance rhythms are fast or slow, depending on the occasion, whether it is a celebration or a healing.
These explorations all impacts on Mohamed and his band’s often hypnotic playing and composition.
undefined“You have to live the culture and what you play. Every moment in sound is different, an expression of that moment. Tomorrow, you will sound different,” said Mohamed, by explanation of what he learnt from being trained in classical music and what he learnt from exploring ancient sounds.
Mohamed has collaborated with musicians in America exploring Native American healing music and with Australian Aboriginals who use the didgeridoo to create healing music.
* The Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF) takes place on Friday March 31 and Saturday April 1 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. The weekend passes are already sold out, but day passes remain on sale at R690 each.