OLDIES SUNDAY: The Abyssinians – Satta Amassa Gana (1971)

There are classics, and then there are CLASSICS. On “Oldies Sunday“, we highlight plenty of songs that hold a high place in the History books. For today’s selection, we highlight Roots Reggae group The Abyssinians, and their single, “Satta Amassa Gana“.

Self-produced and released through Clinch Records in 1971, The Abyssinians deliver a song that connects on a deep level with “Satta Amassa Gana”. The song promotes consciousness, spirituality, and aims to unite the people. The title, which means “He gave praise/Give thanks” in Amharic, was almost shelved. Recorded in 1969 at Studio One with the original title “Far, Far Away“, the owner “Sir Coxsone” Dodd didn’t believe it was good enough for release through his label. The group didn’t let that deter them, and they officially released it under a new title 2 years later through their own label. The song would take off quickly in Jamaica, and gave the group notoriety throughout and outside the Island. The song would be featured on their debut album “Satta Massagana” in 1976, an album that many consider a classic Roots Reggae project. “Satta” would go on to be covered a number of times by The Abyssinians, Don Carlos, Tommy Tornado, and most notably, Third World for their self-titled debut album. The song would also be sampled by Jackie Mittoo, Sizzla, Capleton, Shabba Ranks, Isaac Maya, and I Wayne. It would also be adopted by Rastafarian groups as a hymn to be performed during services, and various versions of it were made.

Since the release of “Satta Amassa Gana”, The Abyssinians, consisting of Bernard Collins, and the Manning brothers Donald, Carlton, and Lynford, would enjoy a number of years touring, recording, and releasing music before splitting up, reuniting with different versions of the group, and reuniting with the original lineup over the years. “Satta Amassa Gana” remains a classic, and is revered by many.