Emmanuel Chanda

Emmanuel “Jagari” Chanda (born 1951) is a Zambian singer, songwriter, and educator best known as the original lead vocalist of WITCH (We Intend To Cause Havoc), one of the most influential bands of the Zamrock era. Born in Mufulira on the Copperbelt, he earned the nickname “Jagari” in school as a playful nod to Mick Jagger, reflecting his early fascination with rock and roll. Before joining WITCH, he performed with several local groups during the late 1960s. Chanda became the frontman of WITCH in 1972, a period that cemented the band’s reputation as pioneers of Zambia’s emerging rock scene. As lead vocalist and a key songwriter, he contributed to the group’s most celebrated albums, including Introduction (1972), In the Past (1974), and Lazy Bones!! (1975). His energetic stage presence and distinctive vocal style helped define the sound of Zamrock, blending Western psychedelic and garage‑rock influences with Zambian musical sensibilities. By the late 1970s, as WITCH shifted toward disco and Zambia’s music industry faced growing economic pressures, Chanda left the band in search of a more stable career. He enrolled at Evelyn Hone College in Lusaka to train as an art teacher and went on to spend many years working in the Zambian education system. He later moved into small‑scale gemstone mining in Luapula Province. A resurgence of international interest in Zamrock during the 2010s led researchers and filmmakers to track down surviving members of WITCH, revealing that Chanda was the last living member of the band’s original lineup. In 2013, he was invited to front a new touring version of WITCH to support the reissue of the group’s catalog by Now-Again Records. This revival eventually grew into a full‑time project featuring a new international lineup alongside Patrick Mwondela, the keyboardist from WITCH’s later disco era. Since the band’s return, Chanda has led multiple world tours and overseen WITCH’s first new studio recordings in nearly four decades.