Artists and music fans from around the world have been rediscovering the 1970s sound of Zambia known as Zamrock in recent years, and now one of the country's biggest stars is embracing it, hoping to give it a fresh twist.
When devising her third studio album, Sampa the Great looked to the niche, brief musical movement that ignited her birth country more than 50 years ago.
We were looking for a sound and a voice that was so post-colonial. And Zamrock was that sound - that sound of new freedom, that sound of boldness, the Zambian-born, Botswanan-raised rapper - who has performed at the likes of Glastonbury, Coachella and the Sydney Opera House - told the BBC.
Zamrock - with its heady blend of psychedelic rock and traditional Zambian sounds - rears its head on Can't Hold Us, the first single to be released from Sampa's upcoming album.
Fuzz guitars thrust the song forwards, as 32-year-old Sampa raps defiantly: They don't have the guts to match my prowess.
And she's not the only contemporary artist who has been digging through Zamrock's dusty crates. In recent years, US hitmakers Travis Scott, Yves Tumour, and Tyler, the Creator have sampled tracks from artists like Ngozi Family, Amanaz, and WITCH - all prominent bands during Zamrock's 1970s heyday.
Zamrock can also be heard on screens across the globe as HBO superhero series Watchmen and the Emmy-winner Ted Lasso feature songs from the genre in their soundtracks.
The movement emerged in the 1970s, in a Zambia recently liberated from British colonisation, during an economic boom. Under President Kenneth Kaunda's policy, 95% of the music played on radio stations had to be of Zambian origin.
Despite its rise, Zamrock faced challenges, including an economic downturn in the 1980s that curtailed the ability to tour and record, along with a devastating HIV/AIDS crisis that claimed many musicians. The genre laid dormant for decades, its legacy mostly forgotten.
In the early 2010s, however, record collectors in the West began to uncover Zamrock, sparked by US-based label Now-Again Records, leading to the reissue of classic albums and the reincarnation of bands like WITCH.
Jagari, the frontman of WITCH, reflected on their revival, stating, It's like a new lease on life I never expected at my advanced age. The fire has been lit; it's up to the younger generation to let the flames burn.”
Sampa the Great and other contemporary artists are crucial in ensuring Zamrock's roots remain celebrated and not forgotten. As she creates her own modern interpretations, dubbed nu Zamrock, she aims to blend the genre’s rich history with modern sounds, confident that its resurgence will be monumental.
