WITCH - Zango

WITCH was the first band in Zambia to release a commercial album — 1973’s Introduction. Blending the rock and roll sounds of The Rolling Stones together with more traditional, African rhythms, WITCH pioneered a new genre dubbed Zamrock, and during their brief, yet prolific existence, WITCH (an acronym for We Intend To Cause Havoc) released 7 albums and were the most revered band in the country.

In 2023, WITCH will release their 8th studio album, Zango, via Desert Daze Sound — a new Partisan imprint A&Red by the founder of the Desert Daze festival, Phil Pirrone. On Zango, bandleader Emmanuel “Jagari” Chanda is joined by Patrick Mwondela on keys, Nico Mauskoviç on drums and percussion, Stefan Lilov and JJ Whitefield on guitars, and Jacco Gardner on bass, who is also credited with producing the album alongside WITCH. The album features collaborations with Keith Kabwe (Amanaz), Theresa Ng’ambi, Hanna Tembo, and Sampa The Great.

Recorded in the same studio in Zambia where the band’s sensational 1975 album Lazy Bones had been made some 46 years prior – DB Studios – Zango tells the story of the band’s phoenix-like rebirth into its current supergroup-like state. The album is full of international and inter-generational collaborations that chart musical histories from Zambia and beyond.