Kampire Presents: A Dancefloor in Ndola (2LP) [Strut]

Format: 2x12" in gatefold sleeve. 

Strut presents an innovative compilation titled A Dancefloor In Ndola, curated by renowned East African DJ, Kampire. This release marks an evolution in Strut's approach to compilations, highlighting emerging DJ talent from around the world and adopting an innovative perspective for discovering music through the new generation of selectors.

Kampire has forged a solid reputation thanks to her memorable sets at the Nyege Nyege Festival in Uganda over the last decade. She currently tours worldwide and is celebrated for her carefully curated sets, which span a wide range of African musical styles from the 70s and 80s to the present day.

Although born in Kenya to Ugandan parents, Kampire spent her formative years in Ndola, Zambia. A Dancefloor In Ndola is inspired by artists and songs that were part of the soundtrack of that period of her life. “It’s important for me to constantly reference Africa’s musical history,” she explains. “At 17, I wasn't interested in the music my father listened to, but now I love and collect those records. Today I constantly incorporate them into my sets. I love that feeling of shared nostalgia, when people recognize a song they haven’t heard in a long time. It’s a point of connection for me when I play.”

The compilation spans different genres from the East and South of the African continent, from Congolese rumba and soukous to 80s South African township bubblegum, and the rich guitar sounds of Zambian kalindula. “There are musical styles included in this compilation that are often considered unsophisticated or rural. But I – and many other contemporary African artists and DJs – are inspired by them; they are part of what defines us.”

Kampire also shines a light on many incredible women in 80s African music, such as Congolese legends Pembey Sheiro, Feza Shamamba, and Princesse Mansia M’bila, as well as V-Mash and Di Groovy Girls from South Africa.

A Dancefloor In Ndola will be available in 2LP and CD formats, and includes an exclusive edit made by Kampire herself, as well as personal notes where she traces her connections to this music. The cover art is a montage by Canon Rumanzi and the restoration/vinyl mastering was done by The Carvery.