Artists and music fans from around the world have been rediscovering the 1970s sound of Zambia known as Zamrock in recent years, and now one of the country's biggest stars is embracing it, hoping to give it a fresh twist.
When devising her third studio album, Sampa the Great looked to the niche, brief musical movement that ignited her birth country more than 50 years ago.
We were looking for a sound and a voice that was so post-colonial. And Zamrock was that sound - that sound of new freedom, that sound of boldness, the Zambian-born, Botswanan-raised rapper told the BBC.
Zamrock - with its heady blend of psychedelic rock and traditional Zambian sounds - rears its head on Can't Hold Us, the first single to be released from Sampa's upcoming album.
Fuzz guitars thrust the song forwards, as 32-year-old Sampa, full name Sampa Tembo, defiantly raps: They don't have the guts to match my prowess.
And she's not the only contemporary artist who has been digging through Zamrock's dusty crates. In the past few years US hitmakers Travis Scott, Yves Tumour and Tyler, the Creator have sampled tracks from Ngozi Family, Amanaz and WITCH - all popular bands in Zamrock's 1970s heyday.
Zamrock can also be heard on our screens - HBO superhero series Watchmen and Emmy-winner Ted Lasso have incorporated songs from the genre in their soundtracks.
It is an unexpected resurgence, especially given that in its heyday, Zamrock never really left the African continent.
The movement emerged in the 1970s, in a Zambia recently broken free from its British colonisers. The nation was basking in an economic boom and President Kenneth Kaunda had enforced a Zambia first policy which, among many other things, meant 95% of the music played by radio stations had to be of Zambian origin.
The groundwork was laid for young creatives to forge a bold, distinctly Zambian musical identity.
Musicians illuminated stages in bell-bottom jeans, platform shoes and colourful headbands, with WITCH living up to their name by delivering marathon shows that sometimes lasted from 19:00 to 02:00.
Despite its initial popularity, Zamrock crumbled after roughly a decade due to economic decline and the impact of crises such as HIV/Aids, leaving its original stars to fade into obscurity.
However, in the early 2010s, record collectors in the West began to explore the genre, bolstered by US-based label Now-Again Records, which has helped reissue longstanding Zamrock albums.
Today, there’s a resurgence of interest not only in Zamrock records but also in the revival of bands like WITCH, who have toured internationally, showcasing a new generation of fans.
The revival has been met with excitement among original Zambrock artists, as they find new opportunities to celebrate and expand the genre, ensuring its legacy thrives.
