Sampa The Great on Home, Identity and Representation

The Zambian rapper on her new album, "As Above, So Below"

Rapper, singer, songwriter and producer Sampa The Great (aka Sampa Tembo) has been appointed the poster-child of various movements, communities and cultures—without acquiescence—and, as such, she’s no stranger to myopic perceptions, reductive takes and misrepresentations. While she was born in Zambia and raised in Botswana, she’s often described as an Afrobeats (a West African genre) artist. She lived in Melbourne, Australia for several years and …

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A tribute to Zamrock, the influence of The Corrs, an entrancing sonic spell and more music this week

Rina Sawayama: Catch Me In The Air Aiming to craft a song that sounds as if Irish group The Corrs “pitched something to Gwen Stefani,” Rina Sawayama has released “Catch Me In The Air,” a soaring pop anthem that’s a tribute to her mother. The British-Japanese singer/songwriter says of the uplifting track, written by Oscar Scheller and Gracey, “I wanted the whole song to sound …

Sampa The Great feat. Chef 187, Tio Nason + Mwanjé: Never Forget

Sampa The Great (aka Sampa Tembo) has announced her highly anticipated second full-length album, As Above, So Below, with the dramatic, powerful track “Never Forget” featuring Chef 187, Tio Nason and Mwanjé. The stirring song is a tribute to Zamrock—a genre combining elements of psychedelic rock, blues, funk and traditional Zambian music—with elements of Kalindula, contemporary hip-hop and more. The Zambian-born artist returned to her homeland …