Sheer Sound

Sheer Sound is a South African indie record label formed in 1994 by Damon Forbes.

History

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)