TRACKLIST
A1. Crossbones - Really
A2. Amanaz - History of Man
A3. WITCH - Strange Dream
A4. Rikki Ililonga - Stop Dreaming Mr. D
A5. The Five Revolutions - Poor Man
B1. Keith Mlevhu - Love And Freedom
B2. Born Free - Mad Man
B3. Dr. Footswitch - Otenta
B4. Tinkles - Mpundu
B5. Salty Dog - See The Storm
C1. Fireballs - Umwana Wakusanga Mung'anda C2. Peace - Umbwalwa Ne Chamba
C3. Oscillations - Request To God
C4. Musi-O-Tunya - Katonga
D1. Ngozi Family - Hold On
D2. Chrissy Zebby Tembo - I'm Not Made Of Iron D3. Jesper Silya Lung - Hot Do
D4. Mike Nyoni - SM
DESCRIPTION
By the mid-1970s, the Southern African nation known as the Republic of Zambia had fallen on hard times. Though the country’s first president Kenneth Kaunda had thrown off the yoke of British colonialism, the new federation found itself under his self-imposed, autocratic rule. Conflict loomed on all sides of this landlocked nation. Kaunda protected Zambia from war, but his country descended into isolation and poverty.
This is the environment in which the ’70s rock revolution that has come to be known as Zamrock flourished. Fuzz guitars were commonplace, as were driving rhythms as influenced by James Brown’s funk as Jimi Hendrix’s rock predominated. Musical themes, mainly sung in the country’s constitutional language, English, were often bleak.
In present day Zambia, Zamrock markers were few. Only a small number of the original Zamrock godfathers that remained in the country survived through the late ’90s. AIDS decimated this country, and uncontrollable inflation forced the Zambian rockers that could afford to flee into something resembling exile. This was not a likely scene to survive - but it did. Welcome To Zamrock!, presented in two volumes, is an overview of its most beloved ensembles, and a trace of its arc from its ascension, to its fall, to its resurgence.