Park Foundation Music App

Home > Labels

The Sun

Profile

Also known by its Arabic name As-Shams or الشمس, [b]As-Shams/The Sun Records[/b] is an independent South African jazz label founded in 1974. Named by [a=Abdullah Ibrahim] (still recording as "[a=Dollar Brand]" at the time) and run by [a=Rashid Vally] from the Kohinoor World of Music on Kort Street in downtown Johannesburg, it was responsible for 1974's hugely-popular [r=1836014] album (distributed nationwide by [b]Gallo Records[/b] due to high demand). It also reissued acquisitions from the [b]Joburg Records[/b] catalogue and its own predecessor, [l92218]. Along with sister labels [b]Mandla[/b], [b]Roots[/b], and [l=Kalamazoo], it was active in the 1990s as part of the [b]Sun Music Group[/b]. As-Shams/The Sun resumed production in 2020 with both new artist and archival releases.