When I first gave this song a play I was listening to it blind. The raw energy and driving nature of it blew me sideways. I was falling over myself to find out who this mysterious new band was. I then found out it was WITCH, a band originally from the 1970s and this was their latest single!
The full story of WITCH is almost too extraordinary to believe. Dubbed the “Zambian Beatles,” they were pioneers of the Zamrock movement, releasing seven albums throughout the 1970s and early ’80s. Sadly, the AIDS epidemic brought the Zamrock era to a devastating halt, claiming the lives of all the original members except Jagari. In 2012, WITCH’s music was reissued, sparking a global rediscovery that led to their remarkable resurgence. Their comeback album Zango received widespread critical acclaim, including a major feature in The New York Times, sold-out tours around the world, and an award-winning documentary that was screened internationally.
“Nadi” stands as one of Zango’s most powerful statements—a bold, electrifying homage to WITCH’s early Zamrock roots. Described by Sogolo producer Jacco Gardner as “the hardest rocking track on the album,” it channels the raw intensity of the band’s garage-infused beginnings. While WITCH’s journey has spanned progressive rock, Afrobeat, and disco, Nadi reaches back to where it all began—delivering a fierce, unfiltered sound that feels both reverent and revitalised. It’s not just a return; it’s a reawakening.
Written and sung by guest vocalist Theresa Ng’Ambi, Nadi is rooted in deep emotion and cultural resonance. Reflecting on its creation, she shares:
“When I wrote the lyrics for Nadi, I was in a studio in Berlin, surrounded by love and creative energy. The song came from my heart—an emotional need to transform something often viewed as dark, like the idea of ‘intending to cause havoc’ from the W.I.T.C.H. acronym, into something filled with love, light, and healing. Nadi speaks to the hidden parts of ourselves—the kind of love that isn’t always easy, but is real. It’s about reclaiming our past and shaping it into a brighter future. Nadi is a song for lovers, for those healing, and for anyone who’s ever dared to love against the odds. I chose to sing in Tumbuka—one of Zambia’s sweet, rarely spoken eastern languages—as a personal expression of pride and heritage. Enjoy Nadi—my love from Tumbukaland in Zambia.”
The new album SOGOLO is out 13th June. The single NADI is out now on Partisan Records.
TOUR DATES
Wed May 21 | Edinburgh, UK – La Belle Angele
Thu May 22 | Staffordshire, UK – Bearded Theory
Fri May 23 | London, UK – Wide Awake
Sat May 24 | Margate, UK – Where Else
Wed May 28 | Brussels, BE – Ancienne Belgique Club
Fri May 30 | Galenbeck, DE – Blechsonne
Thu Jun 5 | Paris, FR – Le Petit Bain
Wed Jun 11 | Barcelona, ES – Sala-Upload
Fri Jun 14 | Hilvarenbeek, NL – Best Kept Secret
Wed Jul 2 | Sète, FR – Worldwide Festival
Wed Sep 3 | Riverside, CA – Farm House Collective
Thu Sep 4 | Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up Tavern
Fri Sep 5 | Los Angeles, CA – Teragram Ballroom
Sat Sep 6 | San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall
Mon Sep 8 | Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern
Tue Sep 9 | Portland, OR – Aladdin Theater
Fri Sep 12 | Salt Lake City, UT – The Commonwealth Room
Sat Sep 13 | Fort Collins, CO – The Lyric
Sun Sep 14 | Denver, CO – Meow Wolf
Tue Sep 16 | Chicago, IL – Chop Shop
Wed Sep 17 | Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom
Fri Sep 19 | Brooklyn, NY – Elsewhere
Tue Sep 23 | Ardmore, PA – Ardmore Music Hall
Wed Sep 24 | Washington, DC – Black Cat
Sun Sep 28 | Memphis,TN – Gonerfest
