Born and raised in Botswana and Zambia, Sampa Tembo was exposed to her cultural music early on. Having made up her mind to pursue all things visual, Sampa eventually made her way through San Francisco and Los Angeles and eventually Australia, to study audio production. Along the way, however, Sampa released her debut mixtape, The Great Mixtape, which combined elements of her African culture as well as her political consciousness. Since then, Sampa has released multiple standalone singles, a mixtape called Birds and the BEE9 in 2017, and many features on songs and singles of other well-known artists. Her debut album, The Return, was later released in 2019.

Having been influenced by artists like Mos Def and Chance the Rapper, Sampa the Great has also been compared to the likes of Lauryn Hill and other female artists. Since her debut album, Sampa has won multiple Australian music awards and a great amount of recognition. She currently boasts over four hundred thousand listeners on Spotify. But most importantly, Sampa the Great will be coming to the Bay Area’s The New Parish to perform her music on October 9th. Be sure to follow Sampa the Great’s rise and continue to follow Mxdwn for all your music updates.

Location: The New Parish

Address: 1743 San Pablo Avenue, Oakland, CA 94612

Tickets available from $15+