Name: WITCH with Ron Gallo
Start: 2026-09-25T19:00:00-04:00
End: 2026-09-25T23:00:00-04:00
Location: Water Street Music Hall

WITCH

Ron Gallo

WITCH with Ron Gallo

Water Street Music Hall

Get ready to dive into some dark, groovy vibes with WITCH live and loud!

A pioneering Zambian psychedelic act, W.I.T.C.H. (the name is an acronym, standing for We Intend to Cause Havoc) were one of the defining acts of Zamrock, a fusion of Western rock and rhythm &amp; blues with traditional African sounds. They were among Zambia's most popular and influential bands in the 1970s, as a wave of psychedelic and hard rock gained an audience in Africa.A landlocked nation in the South of Africa, Zambia was formerly Northern Rhodesia until gaining its independence in 1964, and as Zambia established its own national identity, local musicians began embracing the progressive influences of artists such as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and Jimi Hendrix, as well as the forward-thinking soul and funk sounds of James Brown.By the mid-'70s, Zambia was falling into political chaos as the nation's once-profitable mining industry ran dry, and many Zamrock bands reflected this with a darker, more psychedelic-influenced sound that suggested a familiarity with the likes of Deep Purple and Grand Funk Railroad. W.I.T.C.H.'s 1972 debut, Introduction, was the first commercial album released by a Zambian band, and they continued to deliver music until fading into dormancy in the mid-'80s. A reissue campaign launched in 2011 brought the band to a new generation of listeners, and W.I.T.C.H. reunited in 2014 and started touring again shortly thereafter. In 2023, they released Zango, their first new album in almost 40 years.The original lineup of W.I.T.C.H. included vocalist Emanyeo "Jagari" Chanda, guitarists Chris Mbewe and John Muma, bassist Gedeon Mulenga, and drummer Boidi Sinkala, who were veterans of Zambian cover bands of the late '60s; Chanda (whose nickname "Jagari" came from his fascination with Mick Jagger, one of his strongest influences) had worked with the Red Balloons and the Boyfriends (the latter group would evolve into another key Zamrock outfit, Peace), while most of the other members were members of Kingston Market. In 1971, Chanda sang with Kingston Market at a school function, and he was invited to join the group; they soon changed their name to the Mighty W.I.T.C.H., and then simply W.I.T.C.H, using the acronym they'd coined as an explanation.Fuelled by marijuana and Western rock and soul, the group's debut album, Introduction, was released in 1972, and was among the first commercially released LPs issued in Zambia. W.I.T.C.H.'s third album, 1975's Lazy Bones!!, is generally regarded as their finest work; while they were hampered by the primitive recording technology available in Africa, they developed a large following in Zambia and were playing stadium-sized shows throughout the continent. After W.I.T.C.H. toured as an opening act for Osibisa, the U.K.-based Afro-rock band, they began including more local influences on their next album, Lukombo Vibes, but in 1977, the group began to splinter when Chanda left to return to school and become a teacher.A reshuffled version of W.I.T.C.H. continued to record up until the mid-'80s, going in a more disco-influenced direction with Patrick Mwondela, on albums like 1980's Movin' On and 1984's Kuomboka. Around the mid-'80s, however, the band ground to a halt.In the 21st century, crate diggers interested in idiosyncratic rock sounds from around the world rediscovered W.I.T.C.H., and the German reissue label Shadoks released new CD editions of Introduction and Lazy Bones!! In 2011 the American label Now Again Records released We Intend to Cause Havoc!, a comprehensive W.I.T.C.H. box set that featured their five studio albums plus a bonus collection of single tracks and unreleased material. This sparked new interest in the band, and by 2013, a Chanda-led W.I.T.C.H. with Mwondela, had regrouped and was touring again.In 2023, W.I.T.C.H. released Zango, their first album of new material in almost 40 years. It included contributions from fellow Zambian artists such as Sampa the Great.In June 2025, they released Sogolo, their second album. ~Mark Deming, RoviSpotify: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/0LMkPoi2xIgpOPUSJMftqM" title="https://open.spotify.com/artist/0LMkPoi2xIgpOPUSJMftqM" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://open.spotify.com/artist/0LMkPoi2xIgpOPUSJMftqM</a>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/weintendtocausehavoc/" title="https://www.instagram.com/weintendtocausehavoc/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/weintendtocausehavoc/</a>~~~About <a href="https://rongallomusic.com/" title="https://rongallomusic.com/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Ron Gallo</a>: “The world is fucked, but the universe is inside you” is the common thread between all 4 albums of Ron Gallo - human, songwriter, musician, and general disruptor. His debut album “HEAVY META,” described by NPR as “literate electricity,” was released to widespread critical acclaim and worldwide touring, and an unlikely hit single in “Young Lady, You’re Scaring Me,” which has amassed over 70 million streams. He has performed at Coachella, Bonnaroo, Governors Ball, Newport Folk Festival and Pukkelpop. His latest album “checkmate” (out now on legendary Kill Rock Stars) gets back to the basics of songs for voice and guitar with attention on what is left to hang on to in a world that is seemingly crumbling before our eyes. He began an ongoing song series on social media called “7AM Songs of Resistance for the Internet” that addresses current social and political issues daily, the project has resulted in 90+ songs and reached millions worldwide. In 2023 he also published his first book titled "SOCIAL METEOR".

WITCH with Ron Gallo

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WITCH with Ron Gallo

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