This roots harmony vocals trio are pretty much reggae royalty, although for many people today their name, The Abyssinians, would not ring a bell. Their songs, on the other hand, are well known in Jamaica and have been covered by various international artists. ‘Satta Massagana,’ has been referred to as ‘reggae’s national anthem’ and ‘Declaration of Rights’ is also a renowned reggae track. With their use of the Ethiopian Amharic language and their Rastafarian hymns, the band formed in 1968,with Bernard Collins and Donald Manning and has since gone on to tour internationally, including the USA.
Today the band now consists of David Morrison, Bernard Collins and Donald Manning. The name Abyssinians derives from the former country Abyssinia which is today known as Ethiopia, tying in the link of the Ethiopian language in their lyrics. Through their lyrics the group also promote the Rastafari movement. As a result, they write deeply spiritual, Africentric songs. Distinctive for their minor chord harmonies, the trio have released eight compilations since 1976, including their most recent release Tree of Satta in 2003.
Nowadays, it is very rare that people have the opportunity see a band, still in their prime performance-wise, perform live who have made such an unforgettable contribution to music but for some reason or another have almost been forgotten. They don’t sell tickets. Well, tonight The Abyssinians proved to everyone that they’re still here and that they’ve still got it. The harmonies are outstanding, the band is faultless and the audience absolutely loves it. The trio demand respect with their experienced and controlled performance with an energy that is ageless and boundless. Every single person in the crowd is connecting with the lyrics and moving to the music like they are Jamaican, born and bred. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know much about reggae, The Abyssinians’ music is universal and accessible. Indeed, in the crowd there is a broad age range as proof of their music’s versatility. You find yourself smiling through the entire set because the harmonies are so rich and seductive that you are simply carried away. In fact, the only drawback of the entire evening was at the beginning of performance the bass did slightly overpower the vocals but that was soon remedied and the rest of the show was truly outstanding. If you love reggae or just simply fancy an enjoyable evening of music and culture then this most definitely is a gig not to be missed.
