The vocal trio was originally formed in 1968 by Bernard Collins and Donald Manning. Their first song was "Satta Massagana", which was strongly influenced by Carlton Manning's "Happy Land". "Satta Massagana" is a Rastafarian hymn sung partly in the ancient Ethiopian Amharic language. They recruited a third vocalist, who was still at school and often unable to attend rehearsals; he was soon replaced by Donald's brother Lynford Manning, who had previously been a member of their brother Carlton Manning's group Carlton and The Shoes.
"Satta Massagana" was first recorded for producer Clement "Coxsone" Dodd in March 1969, but he decided against releasing it, seeing no commercial potential for what he saw as a song constituting cultural subversion. In 1971, the group purchased the master tapes from Dodd for £90 and released it on their own Clinch label, the single becoming a massive success, prompting Dodd to release his own instrumental and deejay versions. The group released further takes on the song on Clinch by Tommy McCook, Big Youth, and Dillinger, as well as their own "Mabrak", featuring the group reciting passages from the Old Testament. It has since been recorded by dozens of artists. The group's second release, "Declaration of Rights", featured Leroy Sibbles on backing vocals, and like their first was a huge hit in Jamaica, (and subsequently in the international market) and has been covered several times since. Their 1973 single "Y Mas Gan" was similar to "Satta" in its use of Amharic.
The group continued to record throughout the 1970s for producers including Lloyd Daley, Tommy Cowan, and Geoffrey Chung, and their debut album, Forward on to Zion was produced by Clive Hunt and released in 1976. The follow-up, Arise (1978), was recorded under stressful conditions with internal rivalries threatening to break up the group, and after the album's release, Collins left the band, to be eventually replaced by Carlton Manning. This line-up performed at the 1979 Reggae Sunsplash festival, but split up the following year.
Donald Manning had a brief solo career in the early 1980s, in which he recorded as Donald Abyssinian.
Bernard Collins launched his own version of the group in the late 1980s, with two versions of the group existing for a time. The original line-up reunited in 1998 and went on to record new material, including the singles "African Princess" and "Swing Low" and the album Reunion, although Collins was not involved in songwriting at this time. Collins left again in 1999 and released material as Bernard Collins & the Abyssinians, releasing an album the same year.
The Abyssinians are credited on "Slave Song", from Sade's 2002 album, Lovers Live.
Discography
Studio albums
1976 : Satta Massagana - Jam Sounds (reissued 1988 on Clinch, 1993, 2007 on Heartbeat, also released as Satta and Forward on to Zion)
1978 : Arise - Tuff Gong/Virgin/Clinch
1998 : Reunion - Artists Only
Compilation albums
1982 : Forward - Alligator
1994 : Best of the Abyssinians - Musidisc
1996 : 19.95 + TAX
1998 : Satta Dub - Tabou 1
1998 : Declaration of Dub - Heartbeat
1999 : Last Days - Clinch (credited to Bernard Collins)
2003 : Abyssinians & Friends Tree of Satta vol. 1 - Blood & Fire
Live albums
2002 : Live in San Francisco - 2b1 II
Satta Massa Gana
The Abyssinians Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
That there's a land, far far away
The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords
Sit upon His throne and He rules us all
That He rules us all
That He rules us all
The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords
Sit upon His throne and He rules us all
Look into the book of life, and you will see
That He rules us all
That He rules us all
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
That there's a land, far far away
Satta Massagana
Ahamlack, Ulaghize
Satta Massagana
Ahamlack, Ulaghize
Ulaghize, Ulaghize
The Abyssinians' song "Satta Massa Gana" is a spiritual, uplifting anthem that speaks to the idea of a divine kingdom far beyond the earthly realm. The first verse references a land where there is no night, only day, and encourages the listener to consult the "book of life" to find this place. The second verse describes the King of Kings and Lord of Lords sitting upon his throne and ruling everything in existence. The song repeats its message of a faraway land where there is only light, and concludes with the mantra "Satta Massagana, Ahamlack, Ulaghize," which is believed to be a combination of Amharic and Ethiopian Orthodox Christian phrases that roughly translate to "give thanks," "praise Jah," and "the world."
The lyrics of "Satta Massa Gana" can be interpreted in a number of different ways, depending on the listener's beliefs and experiences. Some hear the song as expressing hope for an afterlife free of suffering, while others see it as a call to cultivate inner peace and divine connection in the present moment. The dialectical fusion of Amharic and English lyrics in the song reflects the cultural and linguistic influences of Ethiopia, where Rastafarianism originated.
In terms of musical structure, "Satta Massa Gana" is characterized by its syncopated rhythms, guitar and bass lines that interlock with percussion, and soulful vocal harmonies. The song was recorded in 1969 and became a hit in Jamaica and abroad, propelling The Abyssinians to international prominence. Today, "Satta Massa Gana" is widely regarded as a classic of roots reggae music, and has been covered by numerous artists over the years.
Line by Line Meaning
There is a land, far far away
There exists a distant land not easily accessible or visible from our current position
Where there's no night, there's only day
Daytime is perpetual and uninterrupted by darkness in this land
Look into the book of life, and you will see
Find insight and understanding by studying the teachings and wisdom contained in the book of life
That there's a land, far far away
The book of life reveals that there is indeed a faraway land as previously mentioned
That there's a land, far far away
Repeated to emphasize the importance of this revelation
The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords
A reference to a higher power, the supreme ruler and authority over all things, earthly and beyond
Sit upon His throne and He rules us all
This supreme ruler holds a position of power and influence over every person and their actions
Look into the book of life, and you will see
Again, the book of life is presented as a source of understanding and meaning
That He rules us all
Further emphasizing that the supreme ruler holds power over all individuals
That He rules us all
Repeated to emphasize the all-encompassing sway this ruler has over each person
There is a land, far far away
Similar to the first line, reiterating the existence of this faraway land
Where there's no night, there's only day
The same description of perpetual daylight is used again to highlight the uniqueness of this place
Look into the book of life, and you will see
Repetition of the earlier suggestion that the book of life provides answers and insight
That there's a land, far far away
Final repetition to emphasize the importance and relevance of this faraway land
Satta Massagana
This phrase has been interpreted as 'Give thanks and praise' in Amharic, a language indigenous to Ethiopia
Ahamlack, Ulaghize
This phrase has been interpreted as 'God, the King of Kings' in Amharic
Satta Massagana
Repeating the phrase, calling for continued gratitude and reverence
Ahamlack, Ulaghize
Repeating the phrase, reaffirming the divine power and authority referenced earlier
Ulaghize, Ulaghize
Repeating the phrase, demonstrating the importance and magnitude of this ruler's position and impact
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
Written by: CARL DAWKINS, DONALD MANNING, LINFORD ELIJAH MANNING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@haoren7494
There's no single reggae anthem. Reggae deals with reality and is situational for example from this same group is "Almghtiest of all"
From Dusciples is " David and Goliath"
From Earth and Stone there's " Devil must have made you* from Toots "54-46"
From Dennis Brown
Love & hate
From Bunny Waler
Rise and Shine
From Burning Spear
The wilderness
From....I could go on and on......
@angelrennyespinoza8870
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
That there's a land, far far away
The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords
Sit upon His throne and He rules us all
Look into the book of life, and you will see
That He rules us all
That He rules us all
The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords
Sit upon His throne and He rules us all
Look into the book of life, and you will see
That He rules us all
That He rules us all
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
That there's a land, far far away
Satta Massagana
Ahamlack, Ulaghize
Satta Massagana
Ahamlack, Ulaghize
Ulaghize, Ulaghize
saludos desde Bolivia
@ChuchodelChucho
[Verse 1]
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
That there's a land far, far away
[Verse 2]
The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords
Sit upon his throne and He rules us all
Look into the book of life and you will see
That He rules us all
That He rules us all (He rules us all)
[Instrumental]
[Verse 3]
The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords
Sit upon his throne and He rules us all
Look into the book of life and you will see
That He rules us all
That He rules us all (He rules us all)
[Verse 4]
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
That there's a land far, far away
[Outro]
Satta Massagana, Ahamlack (Ulaghize)
Satta Massagana, Ahamlack (Ulaghize)
Ulaghize, Ulaghize, Ulaghize
@primasol5425
The Soul Dimension Band - Leroy Sibbles (bass), Phil Collinder (drums), Eric Frater (rhythm guitar), Richard Ace (piano), Headley Bennett (alto saxophone) and Vin Gordon (trombone)
@lawrencenjawe1935
I used to think "Get up stand up" was reggae's absolute anthem. But SATTA in my opinion encompasses the deep sense of spiritually and identity that many others don't.
@kazsupermaturalsunra4644
💯🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
@haoren7494
There's no single reggae anthem. Reggae deals with reality and is situational for example from this same group is "Almghtiest of all"
From Dusciples is " David and Goliath"
From Earth and Stone there's " Devil must have made you* from Toots "54-46"
From Dennis Brown
Love & hate
From Bunny Waler
Rise and Shine
From Burning Spear
The wilderness
From....I could go on and on......
@ricardoogando1344
Hahaha RASTAFARI
@ricardoogando1344
@@haoren7494 man you just brought up a huge thing for US RAS Mighty Far I man's to decide... to me Ras Michael is the one, but. Then I burn some chalice and then I can't really decide anything band's like israel vibration, mykal rose, Don Carlos. Like brigadier jerry... man's RASTAFARI HAS NO ANTHEM BUT (❤💛💚)
@kingwello8895
Satay is the roots of reggae never forget that
@michaelgreene1220
The Abyssinians is one of those bands amongst many that never received their full recognition . They ruled roots rock reggae . Big Up!
@zugadawg13
After all we return to d big tune dem #SattaMassagana who's here in 2023
@IDontKnow-pf6en
everything about this song is so deeply spiritual, it's the kind that gives you goosebumps, and those tears in your eyes that seem to well up when something really poignant hits