WITCH

WITCH is a Zambian Zamrock and Disco band. Formed in the Copperbelt city of Kitwe in the early 1970s, WITCH—an acronym for "We Intend To Cause Havoc"—was assembled from former members of local Kitwe bands, The Boyfriends and The Black Souls. Originally named Kingston Market, the group changed their name to WITCH a few months after forming. Fronted by lead singer Emmanuel Chanda (whose nickname "Jagari" referenced Mick Jagger), the band combined garage rock, psychedelic rock, blues, and native African rhythms and quickly became popular in the Copperbelt nightclub circuit. In 1972, the band traveled to Kenya to record and press their debut LP, Introduction, and carried the initial run of a few hundred vinyl copies back to Zambia in their suitcases. Released as the first commercially produced rock album in the country, it marked the start of the "Zamrock" movement. During the mid-1970s, WITCH built a large regional following, releasing albums such as In The Past (1974) and Lazy Bones!! (1975). However, by the late 1970s, economic decline, power shortages, and government-imposed night curfews altered the local music market. To adapt to changing audience tastes and radio airplay requirements, the group transitioned away from heavy rock toward disco, funk, and local kalindula pop. Jagari Chanda left WITCH around that time due to creative differences over the shift to disco and a desire for stable employment, eventually working as a schoolteacher.. Guitarist Chris Mbewe continued in the band with a modified lineup that included keyboardist Patrick Mwondela and singer Christine Jackson on vocals, releasing Movin‐On in 1980 and Kuomboka in 1984. Shortly after, due to economic pressure and changing music interests, the band quietly disbanded. By the late 1990's, the HIV/AIDS pandemic had claimed most of the original band members. Decades after fading into obscurity, WITCH experienced a revival in the 2010s as international record collectors and reissue labels like Now-Again Records uncovered original Zamrock pressings and restored the band's catalog for a global audience. In 2010, music enthusiasts tracked down Jagari Chanda, the group's sole surviving original member, in Kitwe where he worked as a gemstone miner. The band was reformed by Chanda in 2012 with a new lineup of international musicians, with keyboardist Mwondela joining soon after. Filmmaker Giovanni Arlotta later documented Chanda's life, the band's history, and their return to the stage in the 2019 film "WITCH: We Intend To Cause Havoc." In 2023, WITCH released Zango, their eighth studio album and first new recording in nearly 40 years. Recorded at the original DB Studios, Lusaka, the album featured guest appearances by musicians including Sampa the Great and Keith Kabwe of The Peace. The band released a follow-up album in 2025, and as of 2026, the band continues to tour globally. Recent members of the comeback band: Emanyeo "Jagari" Chanda - lead vocals (1972-1976, 2012- ) Patrick Mwondela - keyboards (1980-1984, 2012- ) Jacco Gardner - bass Nico Mauskoviç - drums + percussion Stefan Lilov - guitar JJ Whitefield - guitar. Past members: Chris "Kims" Mbewe - lead guitar, vocals (1972-1984) Gideon "Giddy King" Mulenga - bass guitar (1972-1984) Boidi "Star MacBoyd" Sinkala - drums, vocals (1972-1977) John "Music" Muma - rhythm guitar, vocals (1972-1975, 1977) Paul "Jones" Mumba - keyboards, drums (1972-1974) Christine Jackson - vocals (1980) Peter Lungu - drums (1980-1984) Shaddick Bwalya - vocals, percussion (1980-1984) Emmanuel Makulu - guitar (1980) Stanford Tembo - vocals (1980) Patrick Chisembele - lead vocals (1984).