Sampa The Great. Photo by Constantine // Spence
September 9 will see the release of As Above, So Below, the sophomore project from the acclaimed poet and rapper Sampa The Great. The Zambian-Australian artist will follow up 2019's The Return later this year, but for now, you can hear its second single "Never Forget." A triumphant and supremely catchy celebration of her home country's enduring cultural influence, the song features fellow Zambian artists Chef 187, Tio Nason, and Mwanjé. Watch the vibrant video from Rhara Nembhard, Imraan Christian, and Furmaan Ahmed, below.
In a press statement, Sampa said the song was written as a tribute to Zamrock, a mixture of psych rock and Zambian folk music that emerged in the 70s.
In particular, the song focuses on kalindula music. This tribute was inspired by the band WITCH and their lead singer Mr. Jagari Chanda, who has become one of my musical mentors. I discovered Zamrock later in my life and was surprised that this music was known globally, yet not fully celebrated and acknowledged in Zambia today. It hit home for me as I felt similarities in my own journey, having had my career take off outside my birth country. I thought it was fitting to pay homage to those who came before me and merge past, present, and future through music and imagery; passing the baton from one generation to the next. The archival footage in the clip includes the late great Paul Ngozi, the late president Kenneth Kaunda (Zambia’s first president), and the legendary WITCH.
In April, Sampa The Great shared "Lane," a new song with features from Denzel Curry and Powers Pleasent.
