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
Thunderstorm
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
…
The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords
…
Satta Massagana Ahamlack, ulaghize
Satta Massagana Ahamlack, ulaghize ulaghize
The Abyssinians's song Thunderstorm (Satta Massa Gana) is a song that has deep philosophical and spiritual undertones. The lyrics talk about a distant land where there is no night, only day. This is believed to be a reference to heaven or a utopian society that is yet to be achieved on earth. The song urges people to look into the "book of life" which can be seen as a metaphor for seeking enlightenment or understanding the nature of reality. The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords is also mentioned in the song which can be seen as a reference to a higher power or God.
The lyrics "Satta Massagana Ahamlack, ulaghize" repeated thrice towards the end of the song are in the Ethiopian Amharic language which was the official language of the Ethiopian Empire. The lyrics translate to "give thanks and praise to the Creator" which underscores the spiritual themes of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
There is a land far, far away
Beyond the immediate world around us, there exists a distant land.
Where there's no night, there's only day
In this abode, there is no darkness or negativity, only light and positivity.
Look into the book of life and you will see
If one examines the meaning of existence and the knowledge of life's purpose, they will become aware of this otherworldly realm.
That there's a land far, far away
This far-off locale is not a imagined fantasy, but an actual place existent outside our current reality.
The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords
This distant domain is ruled by a deity of immense power and omnipotence.
Satta Massagana Ahamlack, ulaghize
Praising and venerating the divine that presides over this arcane location.
Satta Massagana Ahamlack, ulaghize ulaghize
Further, emphatically extolling the spiritual ecstasy and awe-inspiring grandeur of this supreme being.
Contributed by Blake V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.