Amanaz was a Zamrock band founded in 1973 in

Kitwe Kitwe is the third largest city in terms of infrastructure development (after Lusaka and Ndola) and second largest city in terms of size and population (after Lusaka) in Zambia. With a population of 517,543 (''2010 census provisional'') Kitwe is ...

Zambia Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most cent ...

. The group released their only album, the acclaimed ''Africa'', in 1975. Amanaz drew influences from American and British rock of the late 1960s–early 1970s, especially the music of

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

, and from traditional

Zambian music The music of Zambia has a rich heritage which falls roughly into categories of traditional, popular and Christian music. Traditional music Traditional Zambian music is rooted in the beliefs and practices of Zambia's various ethnic groups and ...

, identifiable in Watson Lungu's drumming and Keith Kabwe's vocals. The band's name is the

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of "Ask Me About Nice Artistes in Zambia".

History

In 1973, the band recorded in the Malachite Film Studios of Chingola their sole album named ''Africa.'' It was first released as a LP in 1975, and since then re-issued by the German label Shadocks Music in 2008, and by the American label

Now-Again Records Now-Again Records is a Los Angeles–based music imprint that specializes in reissues and compilations of funk, soul, and psychedelic rock from the 1960s to the 1980s. Founded in 2002 by Eothen "Egon" Alapatt as a subsidiary of Stones Throw Record ...

in 2015. Of the 12 songs of the album, three are performed in the Bemba language and the rest in English. The album continues to be influential as an embodiment of a strain of Zamrock. ''Pitchfork'' journalist Nate Patrin described it as "both behind and ahead of its era" and therefore uniquely "out of time". Music critic

Mark Deming Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * Finn ...

noted that Amanaz's music was based on "deep, bluesy grooves with a strong psychedelic undercurrent and thick layers of fuzz guitar". Amanaz split up in 1976. Keith Kabwe, the former band leader and main vocalist, then created the short-lived band Drive Unit the same year. By 2014, Keith Kabwe served as a

Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement

pastor in Mbala and was working on the release of gospel songs. In 2016, Amanaz's song "Khala My Friend" was featured in Season 1 Episode 2 of The TBS show “People of Earth”. In 2021, Amanaz's song "Khala My Friend" was featured in the closing credits of Season 2, Episode 3 ("Do the Right-est Thing") of the hit

Apple TV+ Apple TV is a digital media player and microconsole developed and marketed by Apple Inc. It is a small network appliance hardware that plays received media data such as video and audio to a television set or external display. Since its secon ...

series '' Ted Lasso''.

Discography

* ''Africa'' (1975)

References

Zambian musical groups Musical groups established in 1973 Now-Again Records artists {{Zambia-stub