Zamrock and Sampa the Great: The 'cool', vintage Zambian genre enjoying a surprising rebirth

In 1970s Zambia, Zamrock led a musical revolution. It's now back, with some big names among its proponents.

Watch LiveBritish Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationWatch DocumentariesTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureWatch DocumentariesFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsWatch DocumentariesArts in MotionTravelWatch DocumentariesDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthWatch DocumentariesNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcast CategoriesRadioAudio FAQsVideoWatch DocumentariesBBC MaestroLiveLive NewsLive SportDocumentariesHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesWeatherNewslettersWatch Live'Very cool': The 70s Afro-rock genre enjoying a surprising rebirth2 days agoShareSaveWedaeli ChibelushiShareSaveNow-Again RecordsWITCH was one of Zamrock's most popular acts in the 1970sArtists 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 - who has performed at the likes of Glastonbury, Coachella and the Sydney Opera House - 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 forwards, as 32-year-old Sampa, full name Sampa Tembo, defiantly raps: "They don't have the guts to match my prowess."