Zamrock Returns: How a 1970s Afro-rock Scene From Zambia is Riding a Global Rebirth

Zamrock, the 1970s Afro-rock fusion born in Zambia, is experiencing a surprising revival as artists around the world dig into its thunderous riffs and bold, post-colonial spirit. In a project rooted in her Zambian heritage, Sampa the Great is weaving Zamrock into her third studio album, a move she describes as embracing a sound of freedom and boldness. "We were looking for a sound and a voice that was so post-colonial. And Zamrock was that sound - that sound of new freedom, that sound of boldness," the rapper said in a recent interview with the BBC.

Zamrock emerged in the 1970s as Zambia rode a wave of economic and social change after independence. President Kenneth Kaunda’s government promoted a homegrown cultural policy, and radio playlists were tilted toward Zambian music. In that moment, bands such as WITCH (We Intend To Cause Havoc) fused bell-bottom psychedelia with traditional Zambian motifs, creating a sound that felt both Western and distinctly African. Jagari Chanda, the band’s frontman, recalled how the young musicians sought to play like the rock legends they admired, while insisting that the African element could not be left behind: “We were influenced by rock bands like Deep Purple, Grand Funk Railroad, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, James Brown. But we were Africans. We wanted to play like those rock bands but then the African aspect was also calling: ’You can’t leave me behind.’”

But Zamrock faded after roughly a decade. A collapse in copper prices trimmed the economy and strained touring and recording budgets. The era’s music also faced piracy as bootleggers copied and sold records, while the HIV/AIDS crisis in the 1980s took a heavy toll on musicians; five of WITCH’s founding members died. Jagari later left the stage to work in the mines, a stark reminder of the era’s volatility and cost.

In the early 2010s, record collectors in the West began rediscovering Zamrock. Now-Again Records, a US-based label, helped spark the revival by locating and reissuing albums from the genre’s biggest names. “I wasn’t sure if it had a market. I was just sure that it was very cool,” Now-Again founder Eothen “Egon” Alapatt told the BBC. Vinyl fans snapped up original Zamrock pressings, which existed in small quantities and fetched high prices. In Zambia, shops like Time Machine owner Duncan Sodala watched the interest grow online, then locally as Zamrock’s mystique turned into a cultural movement. The buzz culminated in a reissue of WITCH’s material in 2011, which helped propel a reincarnation of the band—led by Jagari and Patrick Mwondela—alongside a rotating cast of younger European musicians. WITCH has since released two albums, featured in a documentary, and performed at Glastonbury and other major venues around the world.

"It’s like a new lease on life I never expected at my advanced age," 74-year-old Jagari said during a call from New Zealand, the final stop on WITCH’s 2025 world tour. "In Munich, there was crowd surfing, which I had never done before." The revival has not merely revived a sound; it has reconnected Zamrock’s past with contemporary cultural prompts and new audiences, audiences that include some of today’s biggest names.

Contemporary artists have tapped Zamrock’s energy as well. Tyler, the Creator sampled Ngozi Family’s track 45,000 Volts on his 2024 release Noid, calling the band “incredible” in interviews with music journalists. A wave of producers—including Travis Scott and Yves Tumour—have drawn on Zamrock textures, while Third Man Records, the label co-owned by Jack White, has released live WITCH material, bringing the stage presence of 1970s Zambia into today’s indie-rock circuits. Sampa says the Zamrock revival could be huge, with its exuberant, unguarded spirit resonating with listeners seeking music that feels unfiltered and joyful.

Egon believes the resurgence owes much to Zamrock’s raw energy and to its linguistic reach. He argues that the genre’s English-language songs helped it transcend borders, while noting a dangerous bias among rock collectors against music sung in local languages. “There was a tremendous bias amongst collectors of rock and roll music from around the world against music in the native language of the country that it was created,” he said. Duncan Sodala, a Lusaka record-store owner and Zamrock aficionado, frames the appeal a bit differently: younger fans often react to Zamrock’s apparent innocence and genuineness. He cautions, however, that the genre risks being reduced to a string of samples if its origins aren’t foregrounded. “I think this is the reason why an artist like Sampa is very important—because she doesn’t want Zamrock to be known just for the samples,” he said. “The more we think about that, the more we want to be loud about where it comes from.”

Although hip-hop and R&B remain dominant in Zambia, a new generation of artists—Stasis Prey, Vivo, and Mag 44, among others—are experimenting with Zamrock’s core ideas. Lusaka’s Bo’jangles restaurant has organized an annual Zamrock Festival for three years, and Modzi Arts has opened a small museum dedicated to the genre. Sampa says her forthcoming album, which she describes as a form of “nu Zamrock,” will weave Zamrock rhythms through other influences such as hip-hop, expanding the sound without erasing its roots. In New Zealand, Jagari is encouraged by the momentum: “The fire has been lit,” he said. “It’s up to the younger generation to put more firewood to it and let the flames burn.”

The cross-pollination between Zamrock and contemporary genres has become a marker of the broader Culture & Entertainment moment: music once dismissed as too niche or too “foreign” now circulates through streaming platforms, soundtracks, and high-profile live appearances. The narrative around Zamrock has shifted from a describable but obscure movement to a living, evolving scene that invites new voices while honoring its origins. As Jagari put it during a later interview, the fire now burns with multiple fuels, and it will be up to the next generation to keep feeding it.