The Third Eye

I’m always interested in listening to psychedelic rock in different countries. That’s why I created a Japanese psychedelic rock playlist recently. After I shared that playlist on social media, someone contacted me and asked if I listened to any Zamrock.

I’d heard of Zamrock before but never dug into it that much. But you have to start somewhere, right? My first move was to head to Bandcamp and look up the “Zamrock” tag in the search function. Lo and behold, I came across a new album, Zango by WITCH, released on June 2, 2023. And it turns out that WITCH is one of the originators of the Zamrock sound.

About Zango and WITCH

WITCH is a Zamrock band formed in the Seventies that’s widely seen as the most popular Zambian band of the decade. WITCH is an acronym for “We Intend to Cause Havoc” and is headed by lead vocalist Emanuel “Jagari” Chanda, who took his nickname from his fascination with Mick Jagger.

The band formed during the post-independence golden days in Zambia, a landlocked nation in the South of Africa. But by the late Seventies, an economic collapse and government authoritarianism saw WITCH and many Zamrock bands fade away. WITCH released two albums in the Eighties but faded into obscurity.

These Zamrockers were revived in 2012 after reissues of their records became popular worldwide. The new album from June, Zango, contains WITCH’s first new material in nearly 40 years, so it’s a cause for celebration!

Before we get to the music, let’s define Zamrock because although I had a rough idea before writing this review, I wasn’t sure. 

Zamrock is a genre that emerged and gained popularity in Zambia during the early Seventies and is a fusion of traditional African music with psychedelic rock, garage rock, blues, and funk. It was Zambian musicians taking the influences of bands like Black Sabbath, Blue Cheer, Cream, and The Rolling Stones and then putting their own spin on it. WITCH was one of the first bands to play Zamrock, and it’s seen an emergence recently because of them, as well, and the work of their lead singer, Emmanuel “Jagari” Chanda.

The Songs

The album starts with “By The Time You Realize” and some guitar work that can definitely be described as psychedelic. The wah-wah tone is strong, and Jagari gives us a spoken word vocal performance that reminded me of a lot of old-school reggae. The difference between this and reggae is the funky guitar riffs that surface and re-surface throughout.

“Waile” comes next and starts with unusual percussion I’d say is native to Zambian musicians. I love the old-school hard rock sounds, with the heavy guitar and driving drum beat. Background female singers go back and forth with Jagari’s lead vocals, leading to a pulsating, tribal vibe.

“Nshingille” features Keith Kabwe of Amanaz and the same background chorus of female vocalists. It’s super interesting to listen to the African fusion of rock and traditional music, which is a hallmark of all Zamrock music. The guitar solo midway through the song is also trippy and very psychedelic.

“Streets of Lusaka” is another song with great, unique percussion. The similarity between this and reggae and strong, and that’s not a coincidence. This track feels like a long-lost reggae song from the Seventies.

“Unimvwesha Shuga” features awesome, silky-smooth vocals from Theresa Ng’ambi and has a disco/electronic vibe. It’s a dancehall banger that’ll go perfectly this summer at your backyard cookout. Funky as hell!

Next up is “Avalanche of Love,” featuring Sampa the Great. It’s similar to the previous track, but Sampa brings a new edge – a rapid, hip-hop vocal delivery mixed with twists and shouts. This is Afro-Psychedelia at its best, with this track taking more influence from Parliament Funkadelic than the Stones.

“Malango” is the record’s longest track, bringing another funkadelic groove and beautiful vocal performance. “Stop The Rot” is straight rock ‘n roll, with a riff that crashes in and sounds like something from Jimmy Page.

“These Eyes of Mine” is one of the most reflective songs. The beat is slower, and Jagari sings a tale of heartache. The atmospheric groove is still there, though, and so are the psychedelic vibes. 

The album closes with “Message from WITCH,” and I got the impression this was the band re-introducing themselves to the world. Jagari does his spoken word thing and talks about resurrection and the message of love over the chiming percussion and psychedelic guitar in the background. It’s an excellent way to close the record and send a message of peace to listeners.

Final Thoughts

WITCH’s Zango was an excellent introduction to Zamrock for me. I plan on listening to more of the genre and WITCH’s classic Seventies albums to dig deeper into the Zamrock sound. Zango is colorful, fun, funky, and soulful while still bringing a rock ‘n roll edge. Some songs may remind you of reggae, but others will remind you just as much of Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones.

If you’re looking to delve into Zamrock, this brand-new material from WITCH is as good a place to start as any. While you’re at it, check out some of the recent Zamrock compilations released and featuring WITCH, such as 2017’s Welcome to Zamrock! You can also catch WITCH on tour as they travel throughout the U.S. this summer and Europe later this year.

Support WITCH by finding them on Bandcamp or social media (Facebook, Instagram).

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