Artists and music fans from around the world have been rediscovering the 1970s sound of Zambia known as Zamrock in recent years, and now one of the country's biggest stars is embracing it, hoping to give it a fresh twist.
When devising her third studio album, Sampa the Great looked to the niche, brief musical movement that ignited her birth country more than 50 years ago.
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 Zambian-born, Botswanan-raised rapper told the BBC.
Zamrock - with its heady blend of psychedelic rock and traditional Zambian sounds - rears its head on Can't Hold Us, the first single to be released from Sampa's upcoming album. Fuzz guitars thrust the song forward, as 32-year-old Sampa, full name Sampa Tembo, defiantly raps: They don't have the guts to match my prowess.
And she's not the only contemporary artist who has been digging through Zamrock's dusty crates. In recent years, U.S. hitmakers like Travis Scott and Tyler, the Creator have sampled tracks from popular bands of Zamrock's heyday, like Ngozi Family and WITCH.
Interestingly, Zamrock has also made its way onto our screens, with songs from the genre featured in the soundtracks of HBO's Watchmen and Emmy-award winning Ted Lasso.
The movement first emerged in the 1970s, in a Zambia newly liberated from British colonial rule. The country was experiencing an economic boom, and President Kenneth Kaunda enforced a Zambia first policy that mandated a majority of music played on radio stations have to be locally produced.
Young creatives flourished during this period, infusing traditional music with modern rock influences. According to WITCH frontman Emmanuel Chanda, the genre drew from rock bands like Deep Purple and Jimi Hendrix while maintaining a distinctly African essence, allowing them to create something wholly unique.
Despite its temporary decline during the 1980s due to economic struggles, HIV/AIDS crises, and musical piracy, Zamrock received a renaissance beginning in the 2010s, as Western record collectors began to take an interest in the genre. Labels like Now-Again Records played a pivotal role in this resurgence, reissuing classic albums and introducing new audiences to Zamrock.
Today, Zamrock’s legacy is being celebrated by a new generation. Events like the annual Zamrock Festival in Lusaka and dedicated museums are honoring this rich musical heritage, with artists like Sampa pushing the boundaries and taking Zamrock to new heights.
