Nu Zamrock opens with “Intro”, a conversation between Sampa the Great and her blood uncle George Kunda, set against instrumental music that builds slowly as they speak. Kunda was a founding member of the psychedelic rock band WITCH, and their conversation details how the group helped pioneer Zamrock in the 1970s, moving beyond covers of bands such as The Rolling Stones. “We can hear the traditional Zambian music, we can hear the rock music, and then we add our hip hop infusion and our Afro-fusion, and we are sort of creating the new (nu) Zamrock,” Sampa says towards the end of “Intro”.
The instrumentation varies considerably from track to track, as you would expect from an album reimagining a genre made up of several musical styles. Handled poorly, that could have left the record feeling inconsistent or disjointed. That’s not the case on Nu Zamrock. The production, with Sampa and Cadenza sharing executive producer credits, gives each track its own identity while maintaining a cohesive feel across the album. Some tracks blend into one another and reuse earlier lyrics or melodies, as heard in “Prayer in a Dance” and “Can’t Quit Music”. Elsewhere, snippets of conversations or spoken word appears between longer tracks, as heard in “Maybe Then” and “The Journey is Underrated.”
Second single “Simon Says” has Sampa practically spitting out her lyrics over a bass riff and percussion, while a synth blares like an alarm. The track builds from the first verse through the first chorus, reaching its peak in the final chorus before stopping abruptly. “Catch If You Can” starts with a staccato bass riff and drumbeat, with Sampa delivering the verses in a similarly fragmented style. The chorus takes a completely different direction, with what sounds like a gospel choir singing with long phrasing, while the synth melody echoes the vocal line. It’s an effective example of how the album blends contrasting musical styles within a single track.
Lead single “Can’t Hold Us”, featuring Mwanjé, is a standout with its heavy drums, synth riff, catchy “Can’t hold us” hook and, of course, Sampa’s rapping. It follows a similar structure to “Catch If You Can”, varying the instrumentation and vocal delivery between the verses and chorus. “Supernova” features Sia on lead vocals, trading lines with Sampa during the verses before taking over the chorus. A light synth melody contrasts with heavy drums that sound like a marching band approaching, while layered vocals give the track an ethereal feel.
Elsewhere, “Location”, “Canary” and “So Mone” have a heavier feel, with prominent bass guitar, louder drumming, staccato guitar or synth riffs, and Sampa’s rapping pushed to the forefront. Others, including “Star” (featuring KAMAUU), “Gone” (featuring Nicole) and “I Can Love”, place more emphasis on melody and instrumentation, with less focus on the drums and Sampa’s rapping.
The result is an album that makes room for all these different approaches without losing sight of its central idea. Despite their differences, the tracks fit together remarkably well, making Nu Zamrock a compelling album best heard from beginning to end.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Nu Zamrock is out on 30th October and will be available on all major streaming platforms. Pre-save it to your chosen streaming service HERE.
Header image supplied
