As-Shams/The Sun is an independent South African jazz record label that was established in Johannesburg in 1974 with the release of Dollar Brand's Mannenberg is Where It's Happening. Formerly Soultown Records, home of the MANDLA imprint, ambassadors of
a portfolio of jazz, funk and disco acquisitions from the R&T, Jo'burg and Soweto catalogues and executive producers of the Roots, Kalamazoo and African Echoes recordings of the 1990s.
Under the direction of founder and owner Rashid Vally (1939-2024), the label documented South Africa's fertile homegrown jazz scene from 1974 to 1982, producing seminal works by Tete Mbambisa, Kippie Moeketsi, Pat Matshikiza, Dick Khoza, Sathima Bea Benjamin, Beaters/Harari, Lionel Pillay, Mike Makhelemele and Pops Mohamed as well as Abdullah Ibrahim's most important South African recordings of this era.
Managed and curated by Sharp-Flat Records since 2019, As-Shams Archive has overseen the preservation and restoration of audio masters and album artwork, produced a series of compilations and previously unreleased recordings and worked with boutique reissue partners to promote and share the legacy of South African jazz in the 1970s. After a long hiatus, As-Shams/The Sun introduced a series of new artist releases in 2020. Information & Licensing Contact: info [at] sharp-flat.com
