Tag Archives: Zamrock

01Nov/26

Ed Sheeran and Sampa Beat the System

November 1, 2026Entertainment12, act iv, African music, Amanaz, Angélique Kidjo, Australia, Botswana, Brazil, Chanda, Concord, Ecca Vandal, Ecca Vandal Magnus Mando, Ed Sheeran, Emmanuel, Emmanuel "Jagari" Chanda, Funk, Gaborone, George Groovy, George Groovy Joe, George Groovy Joe Kunda, George Kunda, Kenneth Kaunda, Klara, Kwes Darko, Laura, London, Los Angeles, Lusaka, Melbourne, Music, Music genres, Mwanjé, Nicole Gumbe, Oliver Rodigan, Paul Ngozi, Psychedelic rock, Sampa, Sampa Tembo, Sia, Simon Says, Solomon Moyo, Spotify, Sydney, Tembo, United Kingdom, United States, Witch, Zambia, Zambian music, Zamrockadmin

Sampa the Great Reclaims Her Bloodline and Reinvents Zambian Rock on ‘Nu Zamrock’

Sun, Nov 01 2026 /Mpelembe Media/ — Sampa the Great (Sampa Tembo) released her third studio album, Nu Zamrock, on October 30, 2026, through Loma Vista Recordings. Spanning 16 tracks across 37 minutes, the record represents an autobiographical reclamation, an intergenerational dialogue, and a modern sonic expansion of Zambia’s foundational 1970s rock movement. Co-executive produced by Sampa alongside Grammy-winning producer Cadenza, the album was crafted across intensive writing sessions in Botswana, production work in Lusaka with Zambian producers Magnus Mando (Mag44) and Solomon Moyo, and finishing sessions in Los Angeles. Rather than treating the project as retro-nostalgia, Sampa describes the record as “the future remembering where it came from,” blending overdriven psychedelic rock guitars and kalindula polyrhythms with hard-hitting hip-hop, poetry, and soul. Continue reading →

07Aug/26

From Zamrock to Internet Kill-Switches

August 7, 2026MusicBemba, Chinsali, Cyril Ramaphosa, Daddy Zemus, Edgar Lungu, Ethiopia, Hakainde Hichilema, Honduras, Katembula, Kaunda, Kenneth Kaunda, Lozi, Lusaka, Macky II, Miriam Makeba, Movement for Multi-Party Democracy, Mozambique, Music of Zambia, Namibia, Nina Simone, Presidents of Zambia, Simon Kapwepwe, Slap Dee, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Uganda, United States, Zambia, Zamrock, Zimbabweadmin

The Rise of Zed Beats and the Digital Music Revolution

Fri , Aug 0& 2026 /Mpelembe Media/ — Zed Beats, which takes its name from the letter “Z” in Zambia, represents a dynamic hybrid music genre that emerged in the late 1980s. Young, self-taught producers began using affordable computer software to blend indigenous Zambian elements with popular global sounds like R&B, reggae, rap, hip-hop, Jamaican dancehall, Afrobeats, and amapiano. The rise of this digital movement was catalyzed by a major cultural void in the late 1980s and 1990s, when the devastating HIV/AIDS epidemic claimed the lives of a generation of veteran musicians who had anchored traditional live genres like Kalindula and Zamrock. To fill this void, which had left radio and television heavily dominated by foreign music, young enthusiasts utilized newly accessible computer technology to resurrect local music and forge a modern urban identity. Continue reading →

13Feb/26

Vionde Music Mixtapes: From 1970s Zamrock to Modern Zed Beats

February 13, 2026MusicAngie Stone, Biology of romantic love, Dating, Interpersonal attraction, Interpersonal relationships, Intimate relationship, Kenneth Kaunda, Love, Music, oxytocin, Reminiscence, Rhythm, Romance, Spotify, Stanley Clarke, Tonga, Witch, Zambia, Zamrockadmin

Why We Sing: The Hidden Science of Love, Zambia’s Golden Soul, and the Art of the Perfect Mixtape

Feb 13, 2026 /Mpelembe media/ — The impulse to share a specific song with a partner is among our most enduring romantic rituals, yet it represents a profound transition in the human experience: the shift from music as a fleeting acoustic performance to music as a curated, tangible artifact. This act of intentional construction is not merely about entertainment; it is the building of a “sonic identity” that serves as a physical representation of intimacy. To understand why music maintains such a visceral grip on our romantic lives, we must look to the intersection of evolutionary ontogeny and cultural heritage. From the rhythmic scaffolding of our ancestors to the “Golden Soul” of 1970s Zambia, music functions as a sophisticated toolkit designed to signal fitness, accelerate trust, and preserve our collective “affective heritage.”

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15Aug/23

We Intend To Cause Havoc

August 15, 2023MusicCounterculture of the 1960s, Keith Kabwe, Psychedelic music, Psychedelic rock, Psychedelic trance, Witch, ZAM, Zambia, Zambian music, Zamrockadmin

Zamrock is popular for a few reasons. First, it is a unique and vibrant genre of music that blends African traditional music with Western psychedelic rock. This creates a sound that is both familiar and exotic, and it has a lot of appeal to people who are looking for something new and exciting. Continue reading →

16May/23

We intend to cause havoc

May 16, 2023MusicAfrican-American culture, African-American music, Chrissy Tembo, Culture, Emmanuel Mulenga, Keith Mwale, Music, Music genres, Musical improvisation, Popular music, Sampa the Great, Witch, Zambia, Zambian music, Zamrockadmin

May 16, 2023 /Technology/ — Zamrock is a genre of rock music that emerged in Zambia in the early 1970s. It is characterized by its fusion of traditional African music with Western rock influences, such as psychedelic rock, funk, and heavy metal. The genre was heavily influenced by the political and social climate of Zambia at the time, which was experiencing a period of rapid modernization and economic growth. Zamrock bands often used their music to express their hopes and dreams for the future, as well as to address social and political issues. Continue reading →