Zambian Hip-Hop veteran Holstar has officially released his new album, Nthawi Zamakono Zizindikiro Zakale.
Released on August 14, 2026, the project marks the latest chapter in the catalogue of Duncan Sodala, better known as Holstar, and follows a run of music released throughout 2026.
Nthawi Zamakono Zizindikiro Zakale is now available to stream, including on Spotify.
A New Chapter for Holstar
For an artist whose relationship with Zambian Hip-Hop stretches back decades, releasing another full-length project is significant.
Holstar has occupied several roles within the culture over the years — recording artist, label founder, artist manager and one of the figures who helped build Zambia’s Hip-Hop scene during its formative years.
Now, in 2026, he adds Nthawi Zamakono Zizindikiro Zakale to that history.
The album follows previous Holstar projects including Dreaming in High Definition, Kupeleka Nyali Ya Moto, Dreams Never Die and The OG.
Rather than simply looking back at that history, the new release puts the focus on where Holstar is as an artist today.
Nthawi Zamakono Zizindikiro Zakale
The album’s Chichewa title immediately gives the project a distinctly Zambian identity.
Nthawi Zamakono Zizindikiro Zakale can be translated approximately as “Modern Times, Old Signs.”
It is also an appropriate title for a project arriving at this stage of Holstar’s career: a veteran MC making music in the present while carrying a history that reaches back through different eras of Zambian Hip-Hop.
The title, however, is best allowed to speak alongside the music itself rather than forcing a single interpretation onto the project.
Listeners can now hear the complete album and draw their own connections between its title, songs and themes.
From “At This Present Time” to “Letting Go”
The album opens with “At This Present Time,” immediately reinforcing the idea of the present that appears within the album’s title.
It is followed by “Villain Era” and “I’m Sorry,” before moving into “This Is Me.”
That sequence of titles alone establishes a personal tone: the present, an era, an apology and a declaration of identity.
Track five is “Music Is My Life,” featuring Vincent Claudius.
The song arrived ahead of the album in May 2026 and was explicitly introduced as a record from Nthawi Zamakono Zizindikiro Zakale. It was produced by J-Hunna and mixed and mastered by Paul Kruz.
The album then continues with “Nyuku,” “No Vundu” and “Ballad of the Baddie.”
“Letting Go,” featuring Tulile Siyumbwa, adds another collaboration to the project.
“Music Is My Life”
Of the songs revealed before the album’s arrival, “Music Is My Life” provided one of the clearest signals that a new Holstar project was on the way.
Featuring Vincent Claudius, the record was released in May and officially identified as being taken from Nthawi Zamakono Zizindikiro Zakale.
Its title also carries particular weight coming from an artist with Holstar’s longevity.
Music has been a major part of Duncan Sodala’s life for decades.
Beyond releasing his own records, his career has included founding Slam Dunk Records and being closely involved with the development and management of Zone Fam, one of the important groups in Zambia’s Hip-Hop history.
“Music Is My Life” therefore lands within a much larger story than a single release.
Still Creating, Still Contributing
Longevity in Hip-Hop is difficult.
Artists change. Audiences change. Technology changes. The way music is recorded, promoted, distributed and consumed changes.
Holstar has experienced those changes firsthand.
His career stretches from an earlier period of Zambian Hip-Hop, when artists were working to establish the genre locally, into today’s streaming era where a Zambian record can become available to listeners around the world immediately.
Nthawi Zamakono Zizindikiro Zakale now becomes part of that continuing catalogue.
And perhaps one of the most important facts about the project is also one of the simplest:
Holstar is still making music.
Not merely celebrating what he has already accomplished, but recording and releasing new work in the present.
Duncan Sodala and Holstar
For those discovering the music through this album, Holstar is the recording name of Duncan Sodala, a longtime figure in Zambia’s Hip-Hop community.
His involvement in music has extended beyond his solo career.
Through Slam Dunk Records, Zone Fam and numerous collaborations and projects over the years, Sodala has participated in different stages of the growth of Zambian Hip-Hop.
That history gives every new Holstar project an interesting position.
There are listeners who have followed his music for years, and there are younger listeners who may encounter Holstar for the first time through streaming platforms.
Nthawi Zamakono Zizindikiro Zakale now belongs to both audiences.
Listen to Nthawi Zamakono Zizindikiro Zakale
Holstar’s Nthawi Zamakono Zizindikiro Zakale is out now.
Stream the album on Spotify below:
Whether you’ve followed Holstar since the earlier days of Zambian Hip-Hop or are discovering Duncan Sodala’s music for the first time, Nthawi Zamakono Zizindikiro Zakale offers the opportunity to hear where the veteran MC stands in 2026.
The album is available now.
Album Details
Title: Nthawi Zamakono Zizindikiro Zakale
Artist: Holstar
Also known as: Duncan Sodala
Release Date: August 14, 2026
Genre: Hip-Hop / Rap
Listen: Spotify and other digital music platforms