Sampa The Great – Ukwamba (To Start)

Sampa The Great is returning to her roots in Zambia as she prepares to usher in a new era of her artistry, with a powerful story centred on bloodline, music and the passing down of a cultural legacy to a new generation.

Shot in Zambia, the new visual serves as a prelude to what is being described as the Nu Era of Sampa The Great, using song and storytelling to explore the different versions of Sampa across time while connecting her journey to the musical legacy of her family.

At the heart of the story is her blood uncle, George Kunda, popularly known as Groovy George, who holds an important place in Zambia’s musical history as one of the founding members of the Zamrock genre.

The project explores the idea of a musical legacy being passed from one generation to another, with Sampa positioned as the bridge between the past and the future. Through her uncle, she connects with a pioneering era of Zambian music while simultaneously looking towards the next generation and what Zamrock can become.

Groovy George’s involvement gives the project a deeply personal dimension. Rather than simply revisiting Zamrock as a piece of musical history, Sampa is working alongside someone from her own bloodline who was part of the genre’s formative years, creating a direct connection between the pioneers and the artists carrying the sound forward.

The storytelling follows Sampa through different versions of herself over time, using music and visuals to explore identity, heritage and evolution. It becomes a story not only about where she comes from, but also about where she intends to take that legacy.