Sogolo
| Sogolo | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 13 June 2025 | |||
| Recorded | 2024 | |||
| Genre | Zamrock | |||
| Length | 39:39 | |||
| Label | Desert Daze Sound | |||
| Witch chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Sogolo | ||||
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Sogolo (transl. future)[1] is a studio album by Zambian band Witch. It was released on 13 June 2025 through Desert Daze Sound and was supported by the singles "Queenless King", "Nadi", and "Kamusale". Primarily a zamrock album, it follows the band's 2023 album Zango. It received widespread acclaim from critics.
Background and release
Witch formed in Zambia in the 1970s.[2] After a number of album releases, the band were considered pioneers of the Zamrock scene and were known as the Zambian Beatles.[2] The group disbanded during the 1980s after all of the band's members, other than Emanuel "Jagari" Chanda, died due to AIDS.[2][3] Reissues of their music in the 2010s sparked a resurgence in interest in the band;[4] singer Jagari and keyboardist Patrick Mwondela reformed the band in 2017.[1][5] They recruited younger artists Jacco Gardner, Charlie Garmendia, Stefan Lilov, Nicola Mauskovic, Theresa Ng'Ambi, and Hanna Tembo for the band.[6] The band released the album Zango in 2023, the band's first album in nearly 30 years.[1]
The album was primarily recorded in Berlin, Germany during a 10-day break in the band's 2024 Zango Tour.[5][1] The band announced the album and released its lead single, "Queenless King" on 19 March 2025.[7][3] The band toured in Europe, North America, and Australia in support of the album in 2025.[7][8]
Composition
Album opener "Kamusale" is a rock song with a "thunderous guitar riff and undulating talking drum".[4] The song draws inspiration from a Bemba children's game song.[5] "Nadi" is a punk and garage rock song with pitch-shifted vocals and psych riffs.[2][1][4] Jagari's vocals are "playfully AutoTuned" as he sings in the Bemba language.[4] "Queenless King" is a funk song with a spacey synth solo.[4][5] The song's lyrics see Jagari warning young people against marrying a bad hearted person.[5] "Tiponde Madzi" is an afrobeat song with an "impassioned vocal and relentless percussion".[2] In "Bang Bang", Jagari calls on listeners to shake their bodies and join him in the mosh pit.[5] "Set Free" is a torch song with vocals from Theresa Ng'Ambi and an afrobeat instrumental.[2] "Mbangula Sesa" is a traditional folk song.[2] "(In Memory Of) John" is a desert rock song.[4] "Dancer on a Trip" is a "funky, spiraling track" with squiggly synths and jabbing guitars.[9] "Nibani" has influences of contemporary afro rock and pop music.[5] "Totally Devoted" features elements of reggae, gospel, and psychedelic rock music.[5][6] Album closer "Machiriso" has a "repetitive laid back groove".[2]
Critical reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 82/100[10] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Clash | 7/10[5] |
| The Guardian | [4] |
| Mojo | [11] |
| musicOMH | [2] |
According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Sogolo received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 82 out of 100 from 7 critic scores.[10]
Sam Shepherd's review for musicOMH states that the album is "distinctly forward-thinking", with the band "embracing multiple genres and entirely mastering them."[2] Ammar Kalia of The Guardian wrote that the album's "joyously strange combinations show the Zamrock originators to be just as imaginative now as they ever were."[4] Sam Walker-Smart of Clash wrote that the album was less cohesive but "braver, more energetic, and forward-thinking" than Zango.[5]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Kamusale" | 3:51 |
| 2. | "Nadi" | 3:07 |
| 3. | "Queenless King" | 3:56 |
| 4. | "Tiponde Madzi" | 3:26 |
| 5. | "Bang Bang" | 2:59 |
| 6. | "Set Free" | 2:53 |
| 7. | "Mbangula Sesa" | 1:35 |
| 8. | "(In Memory Of) John" | 2:11 |
| 9. | "Dancer on a Trip" | 3:57 |
| 10. | "Nibani" | 2:39 |
| 11. | "Totally Devoted" | 2:56 |
| 12. | "Machiriso" | 6:03 |
| Total length: | 39:39 | |
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Collar, Matt. "Witch: SOGOLO Tracks & Reviews". AllMusic. Retrieved 2026-08-23.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Shepherd, Sam (2025-06-13). "WITCH - Sogolo". musicOMH. Retrieved 2026-08-23.
- 1 2 Breihan, Tom (2025-03-19). "WITCH Announce New Album SOGOLO: Hear "Queenless King"". Stereogum. Retrieved 2026-08-23.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Kalia, Ammar (2025-06-06). "Witch: Sogolo review – Zamrock originators in joyously punchy form". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-08-23.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Walker-Smart, Sam (2025-06-06). "WITCH - Sogolo". Clash Magazine. Retrieved 2026-08-23.
- 1 2 Donohue, Shawn (2025-06-12). "WITCH Lives On With 'SOGOLO's' Restrained Grooves (ALBUM REVIEW)". Glide Magazine. Retrieved 2026-08-23.
- 1 2 Pearis, Bill (March 19, 2025). "Zamrock greats WITCH announce new album & tour, share "Queenless King"". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 2026-08-23.
- ↑ Pawle, Freddy (2025-07-28). "WITCH Announce Australian Tour After Triumphant Resurgence". Tone Deaf. Retrieved 2026-08-23.
- ↑ Peck, Blake. "WITCH- "SOGOLO" REVIEW". Occult Magazine. Retrieved 2026-08-23.
- 1 2 "SOGOLO by WITCH". Metacritic. Retrieved 2026-08-23.
- ↑ Hutcheon, David (July 2025). "Witch: Sogolo". Mojo. p. 84.