W.I.T.C.H.

They arose like a phoenix from the ashes. Or like a witch, because that’s the name Emanyeo “Jagari” Chanda’s band used before they came up with the backronym We Intend to Cause Havoc. The early days of WITCH date back to the early 1970s, a time when the newly fledged Republic of Zambia was just taking shape, along with the Zamrock scene, whose musicians combined African sounds with a Western style (you guessed right: the stage name “Jagari” was borrowed from the Rolling Stones’ frontman). Stars at home, it was decades before anyone heard of WITCH overseas. The band had lost interest in playing by the time crate-diggers and DJs discovered their music and began featuring it on setlists, tracklists, and European stages. 2023 saw their triumphant return with Zagno, a new album recorded in an old studio on dusty retro equipment, spiriting WITCH’s unparalleled vibe into the present. And maybe a bit further: a Pitchfork review says it sounds like the future. Join them in Katowice for an incredible adventure in time!