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'''W.I.T.C.H.''' '' | {{Featured article}} | ||
{{Infobox musical artist | |||
| name = The W.I.T.C.H. | |||
| image = The WITCH.jpg | |||
| caption = Record cover of the WITCH's 1972 album [[Introduction (1972 album)|Introduction]] | |||
| background = group_or_band | |||
| origin = [[Chamboli Mine Township|Chamboli]], [[Kitwe]], [[Zambia]] | |||
| genre = [[Zamrock]], [[Kalindula]] | |||
| years_active = 1972– late 70s | |||
| label = [[Zambia Music Parlour]], [[Teal Record Company|Teal Records]] | |||
| associated_acts = [[Mosi-o-Tunya band|Mosi-o-Tunya]] | |||
| current_members = [[Emmanuel “Jagari” Chanda]]<br />[[Gideon “Giddy King” Mwamulenga]]<br />[[John “Music” Muma]]<br/>[[Chris “Kims” Mbewe]]<br/>[[Boyd “Star MacBoyd” Sinkala]]<br/>[[Paul “Jones” Mumba]] | |||
}} | |||
The '''W.I.T.C.H.''' (or WITCH) (acronym for ''We Intend To Cause Havoc'') were a [[Zambian music]] rock ([[Zamrock]]) band formed in the early 1970s. Widely seen as the most popular Zambian band of the time, ''Witch'' were formed during Zambia's golden post-independence days, and were headed by [[Emmanuel “Jagari” Chanda]].<ref name=band>{{cite web|url=http://theappendix.net/issues/2014/7/were-a-zambian-band?utm_content=bufferb960f&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer|title=We’re a Zambian Band | publisher= theappendix.net | accessdate=26 August 2014}}</ref> | |||
With the economy collapsing in the late 1970s, and increasing government authoritarianism, Witch, like most Zamrock bands, were reduced to playing daytime shows to avoid the curfews, and faded away.<ref name=band/> | With the economy collapsing in the late 1970s, and increasing government authoritarianism, Witch, like most Zamrock bands, were reduced to playing daytime shows to avoid the curfews, and faded away.<ref name=band/> | ||
==Background and origin== | ==Background and origin== | ||
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The band wore Afros, platform boots and cavernous bellbottoms, and delighted in defying conservative mores, sometimes taking to the stage with women's underwear over their jeans. Drinks and weed were always available. [[Keith Kabwe]], who sang for [[Amanaz]], another [[Copperbelt]] group, sums it up: "We smoked a lot!"<ref name=mg>[http://mg.co.za/article/2011-11-25-up-from-the-underground Up from the Underground] Mail Guardian, 15 November 2011</ref> | The band wore Afros, platform boots and cavernous bellbottoms, and delighted in defying conservative mores, sometimes taking to the stage with women's underwear over their jeans. Drinks and weed were always available. [[Keith Kabwe]], who sang for [[Amanaz]], another [[Copperbelt]] group, sums it up: "We smoked a lot!"<ref name=mg>[http://mg.co.za/article/2011-11-25-up-from-the-underground Up from the Underground] Mail Guardian, 15 November 2011</ref> | ||
''”[[Introduction (1972 album)|Introduction]]”'' and ''”[[In The Past (1972 album)|In The Past]]”'' (1972) are WITCH’s self-produced initial albums which happened to be released in tandem with the birth of the commercial Zambian recording industry. The garage rock-leaning tracks coupled with singer [[Emmanuel “Jagari” Chanda]]‘s English croons marked the beginning of the group’s five-year span as [[Zamrock]]’s driving force. | |||
Because there was no record printing company in Zambia at the time, the band printed their initial records in Kenya. | Because there was no record printing company in Zambia at the time, the band printed their initial records in Kenya. | ||
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The band later changed their manager as first misunderstood the insistence of signing a contract with the band as an indication of mistrust. As a result of this, the manager then took away his musical instruments leaving the band with nothing to work with. After discussions, the two parties reaching an agreement of 60:40 percent to share the master records. The band then decided to sell their 60% share to a new local recording company, [[Zambia Music Parlour]] run by [[Edward Godfrey Khuzwayo]] on the [[Copperbelt]]. | The band later changed their manager as first misunderstood the insistence of signing a contract with the band as an indication of mistrust. As a result of this, the manager then took away his musical instruments leaving the band with nothing to work with. After discussions, the two parties reaching an agreement of 60:40 percent to share the master records. The band then decided to sell their 60% share to a new local recording company, [[Zambia Music Parlour]] run by [[Edward Godfrey Khuzwayo]] on the [[Copperbelt]]. | ||
[[File:The WITCH performance.jpg|thumb|right|The WITCH performing during one of their concerts]] | |||
==Lyrical content== | ==Lyrical content== | ||
The band made some of their songs in English, although most of its members did not have formal education and could not speak the language very well. This made them adopt words and accents from songs they heard other international musicians sung. As a result, some of the English lines in their songs are unclear. | The band made some of their songs in English, although most of its members did not have formal education and could not speak the language very well. This made them adopt words and accents from songs they heard other international musicians sung. As a result, some of the English lines in their songs are unclear. | ||
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*[[In The Past (1972 album)|In The Past]] (1972) | *[[In The Past (1972 album)|In The Past]] (1972) | ||
*[[Lazy Bones (1975 album)|Lazy Bones]] (1975) | *[[Lazy Bones (1975 album)|Lazy Bones]] (1975) | ||
*[[Lukombo Vibes (1976 album)|Lukombo Vibes]] (1976) | Teal Record Company | *[[Lukombo Vibes (1976 album)|Lukombo Vibes]] (1976) | [[Teal Record Company|Teal Record]] | ||
==The band== | ==The band== | ||
*Lead Vocals: [[Emmanuel “Jagari” Chanda]] | *Lead Vocals: [[Emmanuel “Jagari” Chanda]] | ||
*Drums: [[Boyd “Star MacBoyd” Sinkala]] | *Drums: [[Boyd “Star MacBoyd” Sinkala]] | ||
*Bass Guitar: [[ | *Bass Guitar: [[Gideon “Giddy King” Mwamulenga]] | ||
*Rhythm Guitar & Vocals: [[John “Music” Muma]] | *Rhythm Guitar & Vocals: [[John “Music” Muma]] | ||
*Lead Guitar & Vocals: [[Chris “Kims” Mbewe]] | *Lead Guitar & Vocals: [[Chris “Kims” Mbewe]] | ||
*Keyboard: [[Paul “Jones” Mumba]] | *Keyboard: [[Paul “Jones” Mumba]] | ||
==Decline== | |||
{{Main|Zamrock}} | |||
By the late 1970s, the glow had faded. Inflation and unemployment spiked as the price of copper fell. Music bootlegging was on the rise, and money to record and tour dried up. People preferred to spend on their livelihood rather than buy music records or attend concerts. Tastes were changing, too, as disco spread like a plague across the country. Jagari, who had been attending college since 1977, left the band in 1980 to become a full-time music teacher in Lusaka then a miner. He married his wife, Grace, in 1983 and struggled to support a growing family on a teacher's salary.<ref>[http://afrobeat-music.blogspot.com/2012/04/witch-up-from-underground.html The Witch: “Up From The Underground“]</ref> | |||
Musical piracy hit Zamrock artists hard, and with no safeguards in place, bootleggers in neighbouring countries were able to make money by copying and selling the music of Zambian artists. Many Zamrock bands were disbanded and musicians thus left the profession to find other work to sustain themselves and their families.<ref name=guardian>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/22/zamrock-zambia-music-rerelease Why Zamrock is back in play] The Guardian, 22 July 2013</ref> | |||
==Reproduction== | ==Reproduction== | ||
Now-Again Records has released the complete works of W.I.T.C.H. — five albums and rare 7” tracks presented as a 4CD box set and 6 LP box-set coupled with extensive liner notes detailing the unknown musical history of his [[Zambia]]n ensemble. <ref>[http://www.okayafrica.com/audio/stream-witchs-70s-zamrock-introduction-lp/ Exclusive: 1970s Zamrock ‘Introduction’ LP from WITCH] Okayafrica</ref> | |||
==Related videos== | |||
{{columns-list|2| | |||
*{{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN1P6_Xb7xY|420|| Janet by The WITCH|frame}} | |||
*{{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSZ3v2Ojezs|420|| Nazingwa by The WITCH|frame}} | |||
}} | |||
==See also== | |||
*[[Emmanuel “Jagari” Chanda]] | |||
*[[Zamrock]] | |||
*[[Kalindula]] | |||
*[[Mosi-o-Tunya band]] | |||
*[[:Category:1970s in Zambia|1970s in Zambia]] | |||
== References == | == References == | ||
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[[Category:Zamrock]] | [[Category:Zamrock]] | ||
[[Category:Zambian music bands]] | [[Category:Zambian music bands]] | ||
[[Category:1970s in Zambia]] | |||
