‘Home’ is a significant factor in the shaping of our self-concepts, whether it's in relation to the land we occupy or the social communities that nurture us. While there are many factors that can disrupt our connection to our home it can also inspire a vigorous search for our true selves. This is what stimulated Sampa Tembo, better known as Sampa The Great, to head home to Zambia in 2019 when she released her debut album, fitly titled ‘The Return’. The Zambian-born, Botswana-raised, Australia-based MC found that parts of her African identity were not recognised in the media when she first started out in music. ‘The Return’ reshuffles this narrative as she sinks into her heritage, connecting with Zambian creatives to bring the album together. “It was a very specific story of a Zambian girl releasing music that was inspired by home. A sense of belonging is what everybody gravitated towards,” she says. Her new album ‘As Above So Below’ marks the completion of this quest for self, dissolving ideas of separation and merging all of her identities into one.

Curated against the backdrop of a pandemic, the album arrives with its own series of questions, setting us up for another dynamic journey through Sampa’s mind and soul. “A lot of the music, shows and tours were getting cancelled so artists were pushed to this corner where we had to think about what else we could bring to the world. What else is our purpose?” She explores these perspectives through the embodiment of Eve, the original woman. It’s less of a persona or an alter ego and more of a mindset that keeps her anchored to visions of her highest self. It’s a moment where we experience the fullness of Sampa The Great as she embraces all the qualities of the woman she wants to be in the present moment. “That’s me thinking, ‘Man, the woman that I’m going to be in the future, I can’t wait for that woman’. But why does that have to be in the future? Why can’t that be now? I brought that to life through the energy and the mentality that I call Eve.”

So far, we’ve witnessed Eve and the birth of Sampa’s rigorous visual world via three singles, each one lifting her profound lyrics from the page to the screen. ‘Bona’ is a low-lit glimpse into her dystopian influences while ‘Never Forget’, featuring Zambian talents Chef 187 and Tio Nason and Sampa’s sister Mwanjé, is a burst of celebration for the African ancestors who have sowed many seeds that bear fruit for our own creative freedom and expression today. The video features cinematic footage of Zamrock musicians in the 70s and the livelihood of the country’s citizens.

Meanwhile ‘Lane’, featuring Denzel Curry and directed by Rharha Nembhard and Imraan Christian, conceptualises the idea of fearlessly creating your own lane as opposed to going with what society hands down to you. Sampa effortlessly lays R&B melodies over springy trap drums up until the tone of the production takes a sharp left with Denzel Curry’s abrupt entry in the second half. Both Nembhard and Christian are well-known in South Africa’s alternative arts space and it was their particular approach to non-traditional ways of storytelling that compelled Sampa to enlist them as part of her creative team.

“If I’m making this whole album from home, elevating my music and tapping into the source, I want to do it visually as well. I’ve always loved visual storytelling but have always wanted to be educated more on it, especially with film. We just dove into how ancient and traditional storytelling is done in Africa - which is not always linear, sometimes it’s circular - so what does that mean for the way we film things?” The results capture Sampa in a concrete room, immersed within an epic caves and against dramatic landscapes where she confronts her younger self and sprouts angel-like wings, all top and tailed by a spoken word performance.

Growing up in Sampa’s household, having a voice was widely encouraged by her parents who often opened up political conversations to her opinions. She realised the power in expressing herself, especially as an African woman in the music industry. “Women are just so beautiful and vast and there’s so much range in the way we choose to show our femininity that it shouldn’t be limited. I knew when it came time to actually bloom artistically, that this was the way I wanted to show my femininity through art. It was Rha and Imraan’s guidance that ushered that in.”

She tells me of the robust sounds of her childhood from Kalindula music to artists such as P.K Chisala and even the Tswana people who migrated to Southern Africa and share similar musical styles to Botswana natives. “Those tones are so familiar to me, that bounce, but it hasn’t come through and fully bloomed in my music until now because there was so much that I had to represent in Australia that didn’t allow for all of me to be fully expressed.” Her return home and the release of ‘As Above So Below’ is a result of the hard work she’s put into making sure her name opens doors wherever she goes, but most importantly in Zambia in order to create more opportunities for its young musicians.

Despite its international notoriety, Zamrock is only recognised by a small group of people in Zambia, which Sampa believes mirrors her own journey. She’s dived into the genre’s history and has been inspired by the passion and courage of those musicians who made Zambian music a part of today’s global conversation. “It really challenges us as Zambians to see ourselves as making music not just for southern Africa but for the world. I feel like that’s the kind of energy we want to bring back by paying homage to the Zamrock era,” she muses. “A lot of Zambian youth are now stepping forward and we’re on the cusp of a renaissance which is about making our own sound. It’s a good time right now to see Zambian musicians reaching international markets. It’s only gonna get better, especially for women in hip hop.”

‘As Above So Below’ ignores the traditional tropes of genre and style and is Sampa’s most riveting album to date. It features contributions from Kojey Radical and Joey Bada$$ as well as Zambians James Sakala and Mag44. Together they weld elements of trip hop with cascading African percussions, creating a high-powered backdrop for Sampa’s profound lyricism. The last teaser before the album’s arrival is ‘Let Me Be Great’ featuring Angélique Kidjo. A warm horn section and driving rhythms accompany Sampa’s sharp-tongued bars while a choir erupts in perfectly timed intervals to deliver the chorus.

Since her 2015 debut single ‘Female’, she has delivered countless anthems that place the empowerment of women at the centre of her expression. What usually begins as self-affirmations and internal reminders of her power frequently turns to something that people from all walks of life tune into. And deserved success has followed. A two-time winner of the Australian Music Prize award, she was hailed as the first ever BET Amplified global artist while ‘The Return’ earned her three ARIA Awards amongst a slew of other accolades. Not to mention the current track ‘Energy’ featuring Nadeem Din-Gabisi is featured on Barak Obama’s summer playlist.

While she’s preparing for an extensive European tour in October we recap on the busy summer she’s had shutting down stages at major festivals such as Glastonbury and Coachella. The on-road energy is magnetic at all times as she tours with her two cousins and her sister as backing vocalists. She tells me, “It’s one thing to experience these huge festivals and these monumental moments in your life, it’s another thing to experience them with family. It’s just always a huge vibe as these moments are happening with people who know that this doesn’t usually happen to Zambians. We’ve been dancing all the way.”

These triumphs are a result of working on her self-belief and now she is making it her mission to help others to do the same. “Anyone from anywhere can bring what they really want in this life into reality,” she asserts. “This confidence had to be nurtured, this talent had to be nurtured, this belief in myself had to be nurtured. If I can nurture that in myself then the next person can; just be yourself wholly and pursue the greatest version of yourself in this life.”

‘As Above So Below’ by Sampa the Great is out now on Loma Vista Recordings. Discover it here.

Words Blessing Borode
Photography Imraan Christian
Visit Sampa the Great
Published on 08/09/2022