W.I.T.C.H. (We Intend To Cause Havoc) were the biggest rock band in Zambia in the 1970s and spearheaded a new genre dubbed Zamrock, fusing influences that ranged from the Rolling Stones to Black Sabbath and James Brown with traditional African rhythms. At the peak of their popularity, the band often needed police to keep fans at bay while their lead singer Jagari – whose name is an Africanisation of Mick Jagger’s – riled up crowds, dancing manically and stage diving from balconies. Jagari is the charismatic sole surviving original member of the band.

W.I.T.C.H. are finally getting the exposure they deserve with the reissue of their ‘70s albums and a new documentary feature film: “We Intend To Cause Havoc”, which follows the band’s formation, demise, and rediscovery. In 2016 Jagari began a collaboration with Dutch musicians Jacco Gardner and Nic Mauskoviç (successful artists and fans themselves) and as a reformed W.I.T.C.H., headed out on its extremely successful first-ever European Tour in 2017. They repeated that success in North America in 2019. By popular demand, they return to the states again this Fall including this show at The Drake on 10/9. Opening the show is PAINT, who is Pedrum Siadatian; songwriter and guitarist for Los Angeles band Allah-Las.

W.I.T.C.H. plays The Drake in Amherst on Sunday, October 9th with support PAINT.
Amherst Cinema’s Sound & Vision series presents the W.I.T.C.H. documentary “We Intend To Cause Havoc” on Wednesday, September 7th.

“WITCH is like The Beatles of Zambia” - excerpt from the documentary