'Satta Massagana': The Abyssinians' Roots Reggae Blueprint

'Satta Massagana': The Abyssinians' Roots Reggae Blueprint

Musically well ahead of its time, The Abyssinians’ “Satta Amassa Ganna” undertook a winding path towards becoming one of reggae’s greatest cultural anthems. Originally recorded in 1969 for Coxsone Dodd’s Studio One as a compositional cousin to Carlton & His Shoes’ rocksteady single “Happy Land,” this devotional hymn to Jah Rastafari and repatriation to Africa (half sung in the ancient Ethiopian language of Amharic) all but created the blueprint …

ALBUM REVIEW: Reggae Greats The Mighty Rootsmen Breathe New Life Into ‘70s Pop Standards

Conceived by producer Ralph Sall as a reggae counterpart to The Traveling Wilburys, The Mighty Rootsmen laid down tracks for their self-titled album in 2010, but the sessions went unreleased at the time. It wasn’t for lack of marquee names, though. The lineup features standout vocalists – Toots Hibbert (of Toots and the Maytals), Gregory Isaacs, Mykal Rose (ex-Black Uhuru), and Luciano – as well as top session players including guitarist Mikey C…