Sampa The Great has shared plans for her new album ‘Nu Zamrock’.
The Zambian-born artist made a surprising discovery last year – connecting with extended family, Sampa learned that her blood uncle George Kunda (Groovy Joe) was a founding member of Zambia’s legendary psychedelic rock band WITCH.
The band’s incredible sonic brew became known as Zamrock, and their daring fusion served as inspiration for Sampa The Great to extend her own sound even further.
Incoming album ‘Nu Zamrock’ is out on October 30th, with Sampa The Great commenting:
“Zamrock is part of my family legacy. It’s my voice. Being Zambian, being loud, being defiant — that’s what Zamrock is. Nu Zamrock is not nostalgia. t is the future remembering where it came from. This album is a reclamation of my lineage and bloodline: it is my homage to the disruptive, rebellious spirit that Zamrock represented at its peak and carried Zambia forward with, reintroducing the genre to the world, in my own way.”
Available to pre-order now, the album contains last year’s single ‘Can’t Hold Us (feat. Mwanjé)’.
New single ‘Simon Says’ is out now, a riff on identity, expectation, and where Sampa The Great’s heart truly lies. She explains:
“This track is my honest reflection on the pressure of visibility—being watched, judged, and shaped by endless rules. What should a “star” look or act like? The industry seems to value numbers over artistry. Simon Says critiques the industry, where “Simon” is the system telling artists how to be.”
Tune in now.
Catch Sampa The Great at London’s Blue Note on November 4th.
