Emmanuel "Jagari" Chanda

From Chalo Chatu, Zambia online encyclopedia
The printable version is no longer supported and may have rendering errors. Please update your browser bookmarks and please use the default browser print function instead.

Emanuel “Jagari” Chanda

Music background

He started listening to pop music first on the radio in the early ‘60s as a young boy-it was the DJ’s choice-e.g. "Top Of The Pops", "Beat In Germany" and Mozambiques forerunner to "Maputo Lorenzo Marica Hits Parade". His late elder brother George, who brought him up, had a radio and a record player, but his taste was Jim Reeves’ type of music, his was more of Cliff Richard, Beatles, Hollies, Monkeys, Manfred Mann, Troggs, Rolling Stones, Dave Clark Five, Elvis Presley, and the like. The rock influence came slightly later, after he had listened to Deep Purple, Grand Funk Railroad, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Free, Alice Cooper, Santana, Black Sabbath, etc. Having had access to records through friends and schoolmates as Teal Records Company and Zambia Music Parlor came into the scene.

The 'WITCH' were based in Kitwe (about 340 kilometers from the capital, Lusaka). But recordings by various bands and solo artists only came after 'WITCH', and when Teal Records and Zambia Music Parlor started signing on musicians from the mid-1970s onward.

'The WITCH' was formed in 1971-1972. It was first called 'The Kingstone Market' but after some members left the band Chris Mbewe, Wingo, and George Kunda (known as Groovy Joe) and and Emmanuel Chanda remained in Kitwe to become 'The WITCH'. He was recruited by Groovy Joe after he saw him perform with 'The Red Balloons', 'The Boy Friends' and others at some school performances (He was at Chaboli Secondary/High School in Kitwe). He was in the same class as two members of The Black Souls (Jeff Mushinge and Leonard "Lee" Bwalya. Later on Groovy Joe and Wingo left 'The WITCH'. They were replaced by Boyd Sinkala ('Black Souls'), John "Music" Muwia and Gideon Mwamulenga ('Boy Friends'). So the new lineup was: Chris Mbewe (lead guitar), John Muma (and guitar and vocals), Gideon Mwamulenga (bass), Boyd Sinkala (drums) and himself (vocals and percussion). This is the lineup that recorded the album "Introduction". Later Paul "Jones" Mumba on organ was added.


What did the very early beginnings of the scene look like? I'm thinking prior to 'WITCH'. Was there actually anything connected with rock music? Anything not recorded at the time but played in concerts

'The WITCH' was coined by the late 'Wingo'. It was picked from a sound effect (wah wah) "footswitch". He removed "foot" and suggested "Switch". Then the "S" was removed leaving 'WITCH', like a witch on a broom stick, but later a graphic artist (in Kitwe) coined the acronym "We Intend To Cause Havoc".