[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

Composed in 1968, "Satta Massagana" featured the vocal trio that helped to define the most devout strains of Jamaica's then-emergent reggae sound. Producer Clement "Coxsone" Dodd brought the Abyssinians (Bernard Collins and the Manning brothers, Donald and Lynford) into the studio to record the song, whose Old Testament inspiration and Ethiopian linguistic sampling spoke to roots reggae's Rastafari foundations. But the somber, slowed-down groove and the obscure spiritual references made Dodd think the results would leave Jamaican audiences cold. Undeterred, the Abyssinians bought the master, released it on their own, and proved Dodd wrong; indeed, "Satta Massagana" entered the devotional canon of Rastafari congregations around Jamaica.
Taping at Studio One and Federal Records, the Abyssinians followed in short order with Collins' equally successful "Declaration of Rights," "Leggo Beast," and "Black Man's Strain"-along with Lynford's "Abendigo," "I and I," "Reason Time," and "Y Mas Gan," and Donald's "African Race," "Jerusalem," and "Peculiar Number." All are heard here, with informative notes by Chris Wilson. Satta Massagana is nothing less than a reggae classic, and-backed by noted Kingston studio musicians including Robbie Shakespeare, Sly Dunbar, and Earl "Chinna" Smith-after nearly four decades the album's fourteen original tracks (plus four additional previously released tracks on this 2006 CD reissue) reveal the trio's lovely harmonies, loping percussive groove, and spare instrumentation, as fresh and sublime as ever. - Michael Stone

 

Satta Massagana
declaration of rights
The Good Lord

African Race

This is perpaps the all-time finest Reggae album ever created, can you think of any other group, in any other genre, that so truly have been able to succeed with ONE ALBUM IN 40 YEARS, and NOT GET OLD OR TIRED OF IT!



This album is perfection, the truest must-have
Tracklist:
01 - Declaration Of Rights (3:32)
02 - The Good Lord (3:29)
03 - Forward On To Zion (3:51)
04 - Know Jah Today (2:58)
05 - Abendigo (3:37)
06 - Y Mas Gan (3:46)
07 - Black Man's Strain (2:49)
08 - Satta Massagana (3:27)
09 - I And I (3:36)
10 - African Race (2:56)

You've been posting some really good shit of late. Thanks.

And yes, this is an essential album for sure.

[chairman of the bored]

Indeed...this album is gorgeous. One of my few reggae favorites that isn't a compilation.

[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

and even better live! There is no more true roots reggae group then the Abyssinians, these brothers keep it trenchtown oldschool, they haven't sold out any Rastafari culture for anything, no bourgeois dance hall nonsense, strictly rootz!

Live last summer @ the malibu inn

I have never danced with so much spirit in my entire life.. I must have been leaping 10 feet in the air! I had a date, but this music so pure, that I had to keep it Rastafari oldschool, sexual segregation on the dance floor, bredren and bredren to the left, sistren and sistren to the right! My date was surprised to say the least.. she was not a rasta..

Originally Posted by sarramkrop

You've been posting some really good shit of late. Thanks.

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to sarramkrop again.