Pops Mohamed (aka “The Fucha-Rist”), South Africa’s celebrated ethnic African musician, is a firm traditionalist.

He explores the fusion of his soulful music with modern influences and expertise.

Healing Sounds From Mother Africa: An African Ambient Experience is the latest album release from Pops Mohamed.

This is a continuation of his constant musical and traditional explorations, on which he plays a large number of instruments, including unusual ones like the kora (a harp from West Africa), the mbira (a thumb piano from Zimbabwe), the didgeridoo (native to the Aboriginal people of Australia) and the birimbau (developed by the South American Indians and the Khoisan of the Kalahari Desert).

"Fusing new futuristic sounds with ancient cultures can take these beautiful African sounds into the next century," Pops believes.

He actively encourages young South African musicians to seek inspiration in their roots and teaches them how to play traditional instruments.

This new album contains a variety of moods and evocations. There are traditional Khoisan-influenced tracks, including a tribute to Saartjie Baartman in the song I Am Free.

It celebrates her status as the “Hottentot Venus", as her sexuality was linked with the goddess of love.

There is the San devotional track Love Is the Answer, music written for an Ethiopian schools programme, and music from the “Horse Whisperer” documentary.

Pops has released a number of previous albums, among them Ancestral Healing, which won the 3rd Annual FNB SA Music Award for Best Traditional Jazz Performance.

There is also Timeless, a collaboration with Bruce Cassidy, which won the 4th Annual FNB SAMA for Best Instrumental Performance.

He has contributed significantly to many spheres of the South Africa music industry through his solo recording, studio engineering and producing of jazz and “township” pop.

He has an extensive discography and has collaborated widely with some of the great South African artists.

Session musicians featured on this beautiful album include Paul Hammer, Macoy Mharubata just to mention a few.

"Life is light and light is life, and so colour is sound and sound colour. The soul itself is song." SUFI INAYAT KHAN

Expect to listen to this album of great African groove music online soon on CapeTownMagazine.com: Listen to South African Music.

We’ll be giving away number of CD’s every month; Giveaways of the Mpemba Effect CD are hot on our SA music giveaway list and also to be expected soon.

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Molo Says: “Now this is a South African CD that can take your mind of things. With an explosion of relaxation it gives a loudness of inner piece.

If you enjoy Air’s Moon Safari, or ambient music, then this is your South African icon CD.”