The Abyssinians

The Abyssinians

The Abyssinians are a Jamaican roots reggae group known for close vocal harmonies and lyrics that promote the Rastafari movement. The group forms in Jamaica in 1969 and remains active. Its core line-up consists of Bernard Collins, Donald Manning and Linford Manning.

Formation and early recordings

The vocal trio begins with Bernard Collins and Donald Manning. Their first song is Satta Massagana, a Rastafarian hymn partly sung in Amharic and strongly influenced by Carlton Manning’s Happy Land. A third vocalist joins briefly while still at school and often misses rehearsals, before being replaced by Donald Manning’s brother Linford Manning, who has previously been a member of Carlton Manning’s group Carlton and The Shoes.

Satta Massagana is first recorded for producer Clement “Coxsone” Dodd in March 1969, but he does not release it. The group later buys the master tapes from Dodd for £90 and issues the song on their own Clinch label in 1971, where it becomes a major hit. Dodd then releases his own instrumental and deejay versions. The group also releases further versions of the song on Clinch by Tommy McCook, Big Youth and Dillinger, as well as their own Mabrak, which includes passages recited from the Old Testament.

Key songs and 1970s recordings

Their second release, Declaration of Rights, features Leroy Sibbles on backing vocals and becomes a major hit in Jamaica and later in the international market. It is also widely covered. In 1973 they release Y Mas Gan, which, like Satta Massagana, uses Amharic. During the 1970s they record for producers including Lloyd Daley, Tommy Cowan and Geoffrey Chung.

Albums, personnel changes and later years

Their debut album, Forward on to Zion, is produced by Clive Hunt and released in 1976. The follow-up, Arise, appears in 1978 and is recorded under difficult conditions as internal rivalries threaten the group. After that album, Collins leaves and is eventually replaced by Carlton Manning. This line-up performs at the 1979 Reggae Sunsplash festival, before the group splits the following year.

Donald Manning has a brief solo career in the early 1980s under the name Donald Abyssinian. Bernard Collins later launches his own version of the group in the late 1980s, so two versions exist for a period. The original line-up reunites in 1998 and records new material including the singles African Princess and Swing Low and the album Reunion, although Collins is not involved in songwriting at this stage. Collins leaves again in 1999 and records as Bernard Collins & the Abyssinians, releasing an album that same year.

Further credits and releases

The Abyssinians are credited on Slave Song, from Sade’s 2002 album Lovers Live. Their discography includes studio albums such as Satta Massagana, Arise and Reunion; compilation releases including Forward, Best of the Abyssinians, 19.95 + TAX, Satta Dub, Declaration of Dub, Last Days and Abyssinians & Friends Tree of Satta vol. 1; and the live album Live in San Francisco.