Ammar Kalia's global album of the month
In the early 1970s, a newly independent Zambia was forging a sound of its own. Young bands such as the Peace and Ngozi Family mixed distorted guitars with bluesy riffs, falsetto vocals and Fela Kuti-influenced Afrobeat rhythms to produce a genre they labelled Zamrock. At the forefront of this scene was singer Emmanuel 'Jagari' Chanda's Witch (We Intend to Cause Havoc). With his nickname paying homage to Mick Jagger, Chanda channelled the Stones' swagger – alongside a healthy dose of lo-fi vocal grit and meandering, prog-influenced grooves – into five Witch records.
Although the group splintered in the 80s, reissues of their music in the 2010s sparked a Witch resurgence: in 2023, Chanda reunited with keys player Patrick Mwondela to produce their first new album in almost 30 years, Zango. Their latest, Sogolo, shows the revamped band in punchy form.
Where Zango saw Chanda, Mwondela and new additions Jacco Gardner (bass) and Nico Mauskoviç (drums) experiment with soul melodies and hip-hop, these 12 tracks explore new territory: offbeat reggae rhythms on the sprightly Totally Devoted, group vocal harmonies on Tiponde Madzi; the soaring Mdou Moctar-inspired desert rock of (In Memory Of) John. These diversions showcase the band's dexterity, but it's when they sink into their heavy classic style that Sogolo triumphs.
On opener Kamusale, 74-year-old Chanda employs his undiminished vocal power over a thunderous guitar riff and undulating talking drum, evoking an east African Black Sabbath. The wailing funk of Queenless King harks back to 70s Witch staples such as Lazy Bones, and highlight Nadi could be peak Led Zeppelin if not for Chanda's playfully AutoTuned Bemba lyrics skipping over the band's chugging psych riffs. These joyously strange combinations show the Zamrock originators to be just as imaginative now as they ever were.
PVC pipe-playing quintet Nana Benz du Togo return with Sé Nam (Komos), an infectiously funky exploration of group vocal harmonies, synth melody and propulsive bass, peaking on the dancefloor focus of Fovi. Peruvian indigenous group Wampís of Guayabal and Brighton producer Aboutface release their debut album of enveloping electronic ambience and field recordings, Los Bosquesinos (Coordinates). Chanted traditional vocals and yearning melodies create a sense of emotive urgency, with all proceeds going to help fight deforestation in the Wampís territories of the Amazon. Ecuadorian singer-songwriter Grecia Albán's Nubes Selva (Folkalist) artfully combines folk song with touches of electronic production to produce energetic and unexpected versions of South American musical traditions.
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