Sogolo

DecSloan
3h
3 min read

Artist: W.I.T.C.H (We Intend To Cause Havoc)

Released: June 2025

Length: 39m 39s

My review:

Zamrock, the musical genre of Zambian Rock, was catapulted forward by the prosperity of the decade following Zambia's independence from the UK in 1964; the economy boomed through its main export of Copper (accounting for 90% of its total exports back in the early 70's, and still well over half today) from the mineral-rich Copperbelt Province. A fusion of traditional African music with all the influences of Rock (in its many varieties), Blues and Funk that was causing its own ripples from across the pond in America and also here in the England through popular bands such as The Doors, Black Sabbath and The Rolling Stones. In an effort to promote both the culture and a sense of unity, president Kennith Kaunda passed a law that at least 95% of music heard on the radio ZBS (Zambia Broadcasting Service) had to be of Zambian origin, which was inadvertently instrumental in creating this blend of African and western sounds. The roots of Zamrock can also be traced back to the Copperbelt Province from as early as the 1950's with artists like Stephen Tsotsi Kasumali and John Lushi, the former who would travel from mine to mine to perform with a small band of friends, championing the musical styles of their smaller villages and tribes to a wider audience.

Unfortunately the Zamrock era, although full of intensity and raw emotion, was short lived and prematurely brought to its knees by a combination of Zambia's economic crash due to the sharp and sudden fall in Copper prices, the rise in musical piracy and eventually the Aid's epidemic, which has devastated and decimated the nation. The latter is also believed to be responsible for the untimely deaths of all but Emanyeo "Jagari" Chanda from the original lineup of W.I.T.C.H. Following this decline and the subsequent influx of Disco, steering the band in a new direction and ultimately pushing Emanyeo out, things looked finished for the musical career of Zambia's biggest Rock star. That was until Gio Arlotta decided to create a documentary upon being enchanted by their music, listening to some of the bands early albums that got repressed in 2011 and 2012. This sparked even more interest in W.I.T.C.H, leading to a, well overdue, US and European tour and 2 brand new studio albums, the first fresh music from the band in almost 40 years, Sogolo, the second of these records is the one I am concentrating on today

In a similar fashion to Gio, I heard one of the songs from this record, actually the very first song I had ever heard by W.I.T.C.H, and on that basis decided to pre-order the album, patiently waiting to get the record onto my turntable before indulging in any more music from the band. It is such a unique composition of sounds

Kamusale

Nadi

Queenless King

Tiponde Madzi

Bang Bang

Set Free

Mbangula Sesa

(In Memory Of) John

Dancer On A Trip

Nibani

Totally Devoted

Machiriso

Stand out song: Here

Review

When to listen:

Here

Spotify: Listen here

Vinyl:

The 'Zamrock Dust' coloured vinyl option did initially catch my eye but after seeing that it was a pretty dull grey vinyl with no shimmer or shine to it I opted for the recycled Eco-Mix. I am super glad I did as my copy is a vibrant turquoise with hints of green and yellow dispersed in there, truly a marvel to look at! The sound is raw and gritty on heavier tracks, full of guitar effects and totally in-keeping with the bands ethos, but the quality of the pressing really shines through when we reach more restrained moments on the album. Big shout out to Stranger Than Paradise record shop for getting my copy signed by the band when they performed in-shop for an intimate gig which I unfortunately was away for. As always you can find the link to the version I own here - Discogs link

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A.D.R.E.W.

A Different Record Every Week