Legendary South African music icon Pops Mohamed, born Ismail Mohamed-Jan, has passed away at the age of 76, leaving behind a remarkable legacy that reshaped the country’s musical landscape for more than five decades.
He died on Thursday, December 4. The cause of death has not yet been disclosed.
Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, expressed deep sorrow at the loss of the celebrated musician.
“Pops Mohamed was not merely a musician, but a guardian of our cultural heritage — a teacher and a visionary. His music carried the voices of our ancestors and opened doors for new generations to embrace and celebrate our roots,” said McKenzie.
Born on December 10, 1949, in Benoni, Gauteng, Mohamed built an extraordinary career that spanned over 50 years. Widely known as the “Minister of Music,” he was a gifted multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer and cultural custodian.
He mastered and performed a wide range of instruments, including the kora, mbira, African mouth bow, didgeridoo, guitar and keyboard. His unique style seamlessly blended traditional African sounds with jazz, kwela, soul, world music and contemporary influences.
Throughout his career, Mohamed made significant contributions to preserving and evolving African musical heritage. He travelled extensively, performing and conducting workshops across South Africa, Europe, Asia and beyond, inspiring countless musicians along the way.
His impact was widely recognised by both peers and the broader arts community. In 2023, he received the South African Music Awards Lifetime Achievement Award in honour of his decades of dedication and pioneering role in promoting African music. In 2010, he was also awarded the Arts & Culture Trust Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contribution to South Africa’s arts and culture sector.
Among his most notable achievements was the award-winning album Ancestral Healing, which received the third annual FNB SAMA Award for Best Traditional Performance. The project played a pivotal role in introducing traditional African sounds to global jazz and world music audiences.
The Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO) also paid tribute to Mohamed, noting that he “challenged boundaries of race, genre and tradition, devoting his life to blending African jazz and indigenous sounds with global influences.”
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