Once upon a time, W.I.T.C.H. ruled Zambia. In the seventies, they were the driving force behind the decade's 'zamrock' movement, blending traditional African rhythms with garage rock. In 2023, W.I.T.C.H. performed at Le Guess Who? following the release of their new album Zango, their first in nearly four decades.
Our residential photographer Juri Hiensch spent time with them to document their performance.
As Zambia's economy stagnated and the country buckled under the AIDS crisis in the ’80s and ’90s, W.I.T.C.H. fell apart. After decades in obscurity, the iconic ensemble was brought back into the public eye following a discography reissue by Now Again Records in 2017.
Largely unknown outside of their home country, W.I.T.C.H. finally got the exposure they deserved. This allowed Jagari (whose name is an Africanisation of Mick Jagger’s) to play outside Africa for the first time and for a new generation of fans to discover his music. Since then, Jagari has been returning W.I.T.C.H. to the stage alongside Dutch musicians Jacco Gardner and Nic Mauskoviç.
View the full photo series
Photography by Juri Hiensch
