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Zamrock

Musi-O-Tunya, Lusaka

Rikki Ililonga

Rikki Ililonga came from Lusaka and played lead guitar, sang and wrote songs in Musi-O-Tunya, the band credited with coining the term Zam Rock. Zambia had no proper studios or record labels then, so they travelled to Kenya to record, first in 1973, and their singles came out on Pathé East Africa. Their debut is often called the first independently released pop album in Zambia. A second album was rushed out before the band split. As a solo artist Ililonga made a record on which he played every instrument, reportedly the first multitrack recording in Zambia, singing in English, Lozi and Bemba. He named Buddy Guy, Taj Mahal, Marc Bolan and the Velvet Underground as influences. In 2009 the Now-Again label found him in Denmark, still working as a musician.

Kitwe, an acronym, 1973

Amanaz

Amanaz's name was an acronym: Ask Me About Nice Artistes in Zambia. The reissue credits list Isaac Mpofu on lead guitar and vocals, Watson Lungu on drums, Jerry Mausala on bass, John Kanyepa on rhythm guitar and Keith Kabwe on maracas, tambourine and vocals. Their only album came out in 1975 on Zambia Music Parlour, with three songs in Bemba and the rest in English. The German label Shadoks reissued it in 2008 and Now-Again again in 2015, with a second disc of reverb mixes. After the band split in 1976, Kabwe formed the short-lived Drive Unit, and by 2014 he was a Pentecostal pastor in Mbala. Their music has since turned up in Ted Lasso and High Maintenance.

The Copperbelt, Jagari

WITCH

WITCH's original core was Chris "Kims" Mbewe on lead guitar, Gideon Mulenga on bass, Boidi Sinkala on drums, John Muma on rhythm guitar and Paul Mumba on keyboards, with Emanuel "Jagari" Chanda singing. Jagari got his nickname because people compared his energy on stage to Mick Jagger's. Their early albums were raw garage rock in the vein of the Rolling Stones and James Brown, and later ones moved toward darker psychedelia and Afro-rock. After Jagari left, the band went toward disco and later kalindula, and kept going until 1984. In 2012 Now-Again collected 54 of their songs from the original tapes, the first time the full catalogue was available outside Zambia, splitting the money equally with the band. Jagari later led a revived WITCH with new musicians.

The Collection