REVIEW: W.I.T.C.H at Sidney & Matilda
Only a decade ago if you had read that Zambian rock and disco stalwarts W.I.T.C.H (a suitable acronym for ‘We Intend to Cause Havoc’) were playing a fully packed room in Sheffield on a Wednesday night, you would have likely been suffering some form of technicolour fever dream born from a deep-seated love of niche Southern African groove music.
With a history so rich it would require a feature-length documentary to explore with the due diligence it deserves (thankfully in existence as a brilliant 2019 film by director Gio Arlotta), please forgive me for summarising what makes W.I.T.C.H appearing in South Yorkshire in 2026 such a wondrous feat:
Forming at the dawn of the 70s in the midst of a golden economic era for their native Zambia, W.I.T.C.H and their hypnotic brand of psychedelia-infused garage rock saw huge domestic success throughout what would be a savagely turbulent decade for both the band and their home country. With the band’s membership changing entirely over an initial run of fifteen years, their sound morphed to embrace the increasing influence of disco and funk. As Zambia began to feel the effects of a burgeoning AIDS crisis in the mid 1980s, the band saw fit to quietly disband.
With reissues of the band’s back catalog available online for the first time in 2012, a renewed interest in the band began to surge throughout Europe and North America that prompted the formation of the first stable W.I.T.C.H line-up in almost thirty years, as well as two new albums (as recently as their excellent 2025 LP ‘SOGOLO’) and debut tours across the globe to sold-out rooms and festival stages alike.
Tonight’s line-up is spearheaded by lead singer (and sole surviving original member) Emanyeo "Jagari" Chanda and 80s era keyboard player Patrick Mwondela, augmented to no small effect by veteran Zambian guitarist “Sir” Jones Kabanga and a duo of Bristolian session virtuosos tasked with rhythm section duties.
Aside from this evening at Sidney & Matilda marking W.I.T.C.H’s first visit to Sheffield, we’re also treated to another first in the form of multi-talented DJ and session bassist Marla Kether performing her debut crossover DJ/bass guitar live set as an exceptional opening act.
Queuing up a hearty half hour of bass-less tracks from her repertoire (including a banger of an unreleased upcoming single) and locking in with a hypnotic ease, had Kether not confessed to this being her first time performing in such a fashion it certainly wouldn’t have been immediate to any of us dancing in the room. Whilst making a name in the industry as low-end provider to the likes of Little Simz, Loyle Carner and Obongjayar, tonight shows that Kether has more than enough talent of her own for these gems of Soukous-infused dance music to stand on their own merit.
As the audience begins to reach its capacity and the temperature notably rises, four-fifths of tonight’s prevailing Zamrock heroes W.I.T.C.H have quietly taken the stage, and before long kick into the inimitable stomp of their 1972 track ‘Try Me’. It takes a short while for their charismatic leader Jagari to emerge from the crowd to a response of sheer joy from the room, hastily placing a torn-apart cardboard box filled with fruit at the foot of the stage and tucking into a lemon whilst hollering into the microphone with command. Following an impromptu tom-tom solo from Jagari at the end of second track ‘Thou Shalt not Cry’, the swirling guitars of ‘Living in the Past’ round out a trio of classics from their original incarnation, before a rousing rendition of 2025’s ‘Kamusale’ marks the only brand new song in tonight’s setlist.
It’s from here on out that the band seems to kick into an extra gear, handing a cowbell around the audience for a lengthy version of 1975 single ‘Toloka’ before an extended medley of songs from their 1972 debut album ‘Introduction’ - almost 20 minutes of non-stop grooving that seems to have no tiring effect whatsoever on either the captivated audience or the 74-year old Jagari leading his veteran outfit with aplomb.
An impassioned speech precedes their anti-war anthem ‘Bleeding Thunder’, with the technical excellence of the group’s musical prowess on full display throughout main set closers ‘It Feels So Good’ and ‘Nazimgwa’. Whether bordering on progressive rock soloing or clicking-in to a full-bodied Zamrock romp, this incarnation of the band has proved beyond any doubt tonight that they’re sounding as vital and exciting as ever.
Taking a final bow before conceding to a rapturous response from the Sheffield crowd, the band spoil us with a blazing take on fan favourite ‘Lazy Bones’ before bidding us adieu through an adoring mass of smiling faces; a smattering of Zambian flags proudly raised overhead.
Words & Photos: Frazer Spooner
