WITCH :: Sogolo
Photo: Times of Zambia Archive
The whispering world of the Zambian zeitgeist is radically rich and sonically sought after by everyone who wasn’t there, and anyone who wanted a global glimpse into this preciously poetic palace of rhythm and ancient ancestry from any corner of the world. A sacred, yet overwhelmingly oppressive time and place in 1970s South Africa, many looked towards music for freedom for its biblically brave break from the blackouts/curfews, political poison preached to its people, and the AIDS epidemic that would sweep the nation out from under its feet throughout the 1980s. But one thing we know throughout man’s epic existence is that art always prevails. Pulling influences from the likes of the Stones, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Hendrix, the Zambian scene produced some of the land’s most legendary acts, Rikki Ililonga and his band Musi-O-Tunya, pioneers of the atmospherically acclaimed sound of the holy land, Paul Ngozi (Ngozi Family), The Peace, Blackfoot, Amanaz, Chrissy "Zebby" Tembo’s 1976 masterpiece “My Ancestors,” and, of course the Kitwe, Copperbelt-based group Witch, to name a few. With anarchic attempts to break the cultural curse of poverty and the sickening stronghold of government, most bands would play in local coffee and tea houses all hours of the night to make a living, recording their magical material any chance they could, making some outfits incredibly prolific and popular overnight.
“As we embark on this new album, we invite you to join us on a transformative journey that embodies our core ethos as a Gathering at Zango was not just a moment in time; it was a pivotal experience that fueled our creativity and ignited our passion to push boundaries. This album is a reflection of that spirit—an exploration of new frontiers, where every note and lyric is a step into the unknown. We believe that music is a living, breathing entity that grows and changes, just as we do.”
This brings us to our sonic subject, Emanuel "Jagari" Chanda, and his band of gallant gypsies Boidi "Star MacBoyd" Sinkala, Chris "Kims" Mbewe, Gideon "Giddy King" Mulenga, Paul "Jones" Mumba, and countless others who poetically poured into the intense institution of the Zambian sound that we know today as Witch (We Intend To Cause Havoc). Having grown into one of the most influential acts of their time, the band has gone through several melodic metamorphoses over the decades, while simultaneously shape-shifting from one genre to the next as rock and roll leaned into disco, and the pivotal punk era began to take over the yeasty youth of America in the 1980s. But one man has managed to keep the soldiering spirituality of the band alive after many years in harmonious hiding, only to radically resurge as this elemental entity with incredible soul, and endless energy that sincerely makes the world a better place. A follow-up to 2023’s “Zango,” the first original material from the band since 1984’s “Kuomboka,” Chanda exhales a whole new breath into the lyrical lungs of his limitless legacy with an all-star cast of musicians helping to bring to life the band’s most recent effort, “Sogolo.” An overwhelming oasis of precise positivity in an otherwise out-of-control cosmos, the band delivers its Dionysian dynamics to its listeners in a way that feels familiar to the band’s old-school material, but with an explosive energy that significantly silences the sting of society. ‘Sogolo’ is a word from a Zambian dialect, specifically Chinyanja, which translates to ‘future,’ a lavish location where Chanda plans to take his listeners, and anyone else in need of a pause, or vacation from the visceral volumes of the void. Featuring tracks like “Tiponde Madzi,” “Queenless King,” “(In Memory Of) John,” and “Set Free,” the album’s atmospheric abilities set a magical mood for our memories to take a backseat, allowing the present moment to unfold into the unknowns of the universe.
