The roots harmony vocals of Bernard Collins, Donald Manning, and Linford Manning brought a unique quality of Rastafarian majesty to some of the most important tracks ever recorded in Jamaican reggae, including "Satta Massagana" (a.k.a. "Satta"), "Declaration of Rights," and "Y Mas Gan." When the Abyssinians went to the studio for a session, it was as though the musicians were no longer doing work but rather on a mission to make music that would last through the ages. The Abyssinians' music has influenced nearly every reggae artist, because of the deeply spiritual lyrics Bernard Collins and the Manning brothers sang and the original rhythms the group utilized.
Today, group co-founder Donald Manning performs internationally under the name Abyssinians with his brother Carlton Manning and singer David Morrison. In Jamaica, Bernard Collins is known as The Abyssinian and performs regularly on stage shows with longtime associate George Henry.
Despite the divergence and professional tension over the years between the Mannings and Bernard Collins, Collins has stated, "I feel Donald and Linford Manning and myself did a lot to make it happen. And I give them thanks for that too. Cause it wasn't me alone, regardless."
In recent years, Donald Manning collected many of the last recordings of the original group and released 19.95 + Tax (Artists Only). Collins recently saw the CD release of his first solo album, Last Days (TABOU.1). The album collects tracks recorded over a span of twelve years, including the balance of the last recordings of the original line-up not included on 19.95 + Tax.
Until Heartbeat Records reissued Satta Massagana (a.k.a. Forward Onto Zion) in 1993, few groups in reggae were more of an enigma than the Abyssinians. Only in the past five years has a solid picture of this key trio emerged. Bernard Collins and Donald Manning have given thorough interviews, and the Mannings family version of the Abyssinians began touring the US in 1997.
"Satta Massagana," recorded at Coxson Dodd's Jamaica Recording Studio in 1969, has been referred to as "reggae's national anthem." The recording session that yielded "Satta" was arranged and financed independently and clearly marked a turning point for reggae -- lyrically, rhythmically, and spiritually.
Donald Manning explains how the song was born. "Carlton [Manning] wrote 'Happy Land' [b-side to 'Love Me Forever'] with lyrics, 'There is a land far, far away, where there's no night, there's only day. Look into the book of life, and you will see that there's a land far, far away.'"
"Satta Massagana" (meaning 'give thanks') is obviously notable for its use of Amharic, the language of Ethiopia (Abyssinia). The Amharic is a result of Donald Manning's Rastafarian influence on the group. The study of Amharic in Kingston in the 60s was a function of the post-colonial, Pan-African identity and Rastafarian awareness sweeping the ghetto after Haile Selassie's 1966 visit to the island. Collins recalls how Donald's brother Neville used to teach Amharic in the Jonestown area of Kingston. "[He] was a man who used to . . . have classes around there, where we could all go and learn the language, cause he used to get books from Ethiopia through England -- Ethiopian opinions. And those books contain all literatures that we need . . . That's how come we get acquainted with the Amharic . . . Bredren from all about used to come there and learn."
Donald Manning explains the Amharic in some of the group's well-known compositions. "Tena Yi Stillin. Dina Igzhabhier Y Mas Gan. Satta Massagana.' When I say 'Dina' means 'good,' 'Igzhabier' means 'God,' 'Y Mas Gan,' [means] 'he may be praised,' so I correct the mistake that I made by singing 'Satta Massagana' [to God]. 'Tena Yi Stillin' means 'greetings.' It means 'good morning.' It means 'good bye.' It means 'good afternoon.' It means 'health, may He give for thee.'"
The legendary "Satta" recording session included Leroy Sibbles on bass, Fil Callendar on drums, Eric Frater on guitar, Robbie Lyn on keyboards, Vin Gordon on trombone and Felix "Deadley Headley" Bennett on saxophone. "That tune really, no one specially [gave] a specific arrangement to that song," recalls Bernard Collins. "We went there singing the song on our guitars. Cause we had like the melody progression. So we went there playing the chords and everything on the guitar, and while we play, everybody just came in. Cause these men were professional musicians . . . You haffe say they did all the arrangement really, Leroy Sibbles feel out his own bass line, Deadley Headley . . . cause we didn't go in there with no special arrangement -- just the basic chords and the progression of the song and the melody. Is just a vibes tune.
