| Sheer Sound | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Founder | Damon Forbes |
| Distributor(s) | IRIS (South Africa) |
| Genre | Jazz, rock, world, Afropop, house |
| Country of origin | South Africa |
| Official website | www |
Sheer Sound is a South African independent record label formed in 1994 by Damon Forbes.
Sheer Sound was formed in November 1994, shortly after South Africa's first democratic elections. The label was initially a home for jazz and world music and fast gained a reputation for its extensive South African and African jazz catalogue.
By the mid-1990s, a young music marketer, Damon Forbes, was getting restless with the limited vision of his industry.
"I sunk my teeth into jazz because it carried a world music message for me; it was truly culturally representative.... I just looked at the market and I saw the economics of the people of South Africa changing, due to better access to education.... [And]the workplace was going to change; a lot more black people getting into jobs that are of medium and higher income levels.... With all that, comes the aspiration to listen to better quality music. [So] the market, in the long term, is going to increase."
With what he calls "R1 500 (just over $200) and a dream", Forbes established his own label, Sheer Sound. (Ansell 2005:269)
In 2006 two imprint labels, Seed and 2Feet Music, were formed under the Sheer Sound umbrella and has since released some of the most prolific rock and singer-songwriter music, respectively, in South Africa.
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The music of Malawi has historically been influenced by its triple cultural heritage of British, African, and American music. Malawians, known for their history as travelers and migrant workers, have contributed to the spread of their music across the African continent, blending it with various musical forms. A significant factor in this musical amalgamation was World War II, during which soldiers transported music to distant lands and brought it back, leading to the popularity of guitar and banjo duos as dance bands by the war's end. Both instruments were imported. Additionally, Malawians working in mines in South Africa and Mozambique influenced the fusion of music styles, giving rise to genres such as Kwela.
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340ml is an African musical group who originate from Mozambique, Maputo, but are now based in Johannesburg, South Africa. They have therefore jokingly been described by some as being "Jozambican". The band incorporates many different elements into their music including dub, jazz, ska, Afro-jazz and reggae. It is therefore very difficult to attach the band to any specific music genre, as their style is rather eccentric. The music that 340ml produces is often described as having a very relaxed African-feel to it, and also strongly incorporates elements of Latin music, and to a lesser extent, Marrabenta. Their music has also been described by Jean Barker as "sounding better than a cold beer opening on a hot day."
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"Meadowlands" is an anti-apartheid song composed in 1956 by Strike Vilakazi. It was written in reaction to the forced relocation of black South Africans from Sophiatown, to the new township of Meadowlands. The song was popularised by a number of musicians, including Dorothy Masuka and Miriam Makeba, and became an anthem of the movement against apartheid.
Rashid Vally was a South African music producer and record shop owner. He ran a record shop in downtown Johannesburg, and produced langarm and jazz music. He had a successful collaboration with pianist Abdullah Ibrahim, including the production of "Mannenberg" (1974), a piece which became associated with the movement against apartheid. Scholar Gwen Ansell described his As Shams label as giving "a voice to modern jazz" in 1980s South Africa.
Ringo Madlingozi is a South African singer, songwriter, record producer and a Member of the National Assembly of South Africa. Madlingozi rose to fame when he and his band Peto won the Shell Road to Fame contest in 1986. He later formed a group called Gecko Moon with Alan Cameron, a fellow Peto member.
