Early in the set WITCH frontman Emanyeo “Jagari” Chanda invites the audience into his family – “tonight I am your cousin” – setting the tone of joyful, familial embracement that their music imbues. 

 Formed fifty years ago in Zambia, WITCH became one of the leading figures of Zamrock, their fervent popularity embodied at one particular sold out show where fans took to removing parts of the roof to try get in.

The ensuing years of political and economic instability in late 70s Zambia however forced WITCH into curfew-dodging daytime shows, and eventual obscurity in the following decades. The last ten years have been good to WITCH though, reuniting for live performances in 2012, and releasing the warmly received Zango LP last year – their first in almost 40 years. 

 From the minute they set foot on the stage WITCH turn on the groove and have the audience moving. Their signature blend of traditional African rhythms with more psychedelic and rock sounds is one that clearly speaks to the audience, and before long many enthusiastic fans are down the front dancing and giving the band a run for their money.

A solo song from Jagari at one point in the set offers a moment of introspection (not to mention an opportunity to catch one’s breath), before the full band rejoin him and hurtle back into the music.

  At one point during the show Jagari offers a word of advice against holding grudges, proffering that our wrongdoers “know not what they do.” As one of the founding members of WITCH, it seems that Jagari holds no resentment for the circumstances that constricted the band’s success. The relentlessly celebratory atmosphere of the show comes as a sharp reflection of WITCH’s gratitude to be making music again, playing shows, and being embraced by audiences too young to remember them from the 70s.

 For their farewell tune WITCH invite support act Harvest Ong back to the stage, who come accompanied by a swathe of sweaty, jubilant fans on vocal and tambourine duties. By the end of the set Jagari’s earlier invitation to fans to join the WITCH family seems one wholly fulfilled, and one I defy anyone to turn down after watching such a show. 

Words: Elliot Hetherton

Pictures: Elliot Hetherton