If you're unfamiliar with the music genre Zamrock, don't worry, you're not alone.
The genre started in 1970s Zambia and fuses traditional African polyrhythms and folk melodies with Western psychedelic rock, hard rock, blues and funk. To get an idea of what this sounds like, imagine Black Sabbath being from Africa instead of Birmingham. The scene was on the rise but fell into obscurity in the 1980s due to unrest and the AIDS epidemic.
Fast forward to 2026 and we have Sampa the Great introducing the world to Nu Zamrock. Sampa channels her Zambian heritage and the original Zamrock sound (her grandfather was in formative Zamrock group WITCH) and adds hip-hop, spoken word and even some jazz to the mix. Also, Sampa resides in Zambia, which means that this is African music from the source — there's no faking its authenticity.
This record is a truly unique listening experience. All of the genres Sampa's playing with blend together seamlessly into a totally confident piece of musical expression. I hope it causes some heads to turn and that we see Sampa the Great getting more exposure and opening for big acts soon.
"Can't Hold Us" is a clear standout and almost falls into Rage Against the Machine territory. It's a powder keg of a song that you could imagine soundtracking a protest. The blend of hip-hop, rock and the chanting chorus is a recipe for success, and makes for a strong track for the downtrodden everywhere. This is a great introduction to Sampa the Great and would be my go to recommended track.
"Prayer In A Dance" showcases Sampa's rapping ability well, and the chorus juxtaposes the aggressive delivery of Sampa's verses in a pleasing way. The fact that it's done in a traditional African timbre only adds to the appeal. This is a theme throughout the album. When Sampa gets aggressive, the backing chorus and the music chills the intensity and adds a layer that you don't normally hear in hip-hop. It also makes these songs sound arena ready.
"Canary" is another strong offering, with a mix of scary laughter and reversed guitar before Sampa comes in sounding like an enraged Lauryn Hill.
"Yeah, they got the beast to sleep 'cause I was getting kinda hostile /
I want my own room, they got me bunking in a hostel /
Look at the messiah, want me speak like an apostle /
Warriors ain't humble when they speaking on the gospel"
These lines are delivered with seamless flow and really made me appreciate Sampa as a rapper. The lyrics paint a clear picture in my head, which I've always considered to be a true test of an artists' ability as a lyricist.
Nu Zamrock even dips its toes into pop territory with "Supernova," which has a feature from Sia! This is probably the most Top 40 that the music gets on this record, and it's an interesting turn that proves yet again that this is massive sonic potpourri of an album.
At the end of Nu Zamrock I was left feeling invigorated and excited. It's a fresh sound, and deserves to be heard. Give this one a listen — you might even learn a few things a long the way. I know I did.
