All this reflected the growing influence of Rastafarianism and Africa-consciousness in general.” (p. Its hymn-like lyrics about Africa (‘there is a land, far, far, away…’) became an anthem. Yet, by the early ‘70s, the booming bass line and akete-style drum patterns of the rhythm became one of the most widely used rhythms in reggae. When the Abyssinians recorded ‘Satta Amassagana’ in the late ‘60s, the almost modal, wailing harmonies found little favor. Given the importance of this song within the reggae pantheon today, Stephen Davis’ perspective in the well-regarded 1983 book, Reggae International, demonstrates the fame already achieved within a decade of release: “… the advent of reggae seemed to bring out more chant-like, message-oriented singing. It’s well worth noting the overlap in members between Carlton & The Shoes and The Abyssinians: the Manning brothers. Both records shared the same concern, the Rastafarian dream of repatriation to an Arcadian paradise in Africa, and also employed similar minor-chord melodies and dread-slow rhythms” (p. The Youtube commenters have been verified by reggae historians Steve Barrow and Peter Dalton in The Rough Guide to Reggae: “‘Happy Land’ was to act as template for the Abyssinians’ ‘cultural’ anthem, ‘Satta Massa Ganna,’ recorded the following year at the same studio, though not released until two years laterĪnd on the trio’s own Clinch label. Undeterred, the Abyssinians bought the master, released it on their own, and proved Dodd wrong indeed, ‘Satta Massagana’ entered the devotional canon of RastafariĬarlton & The Shoes – Happy Land Rootsworld explains why: “the somber, slowed-down groove and the obscure spiritual references made Dodd think the results would leave Jamaican audiences cold. While the precise history is a bit murky, it seems the song was composed in 1968, recorded at Studio One in 1969, and then sat on by famed producer Coxsone Dodd, before it was finally self-released in 1971/1972 (there are multiple early releases on 7”). With a multi-year delay before public release, “Satta Massagana” was well worth the wait, and the Abyssinians’ confidence was clearly correct: this has become regarded as their masterwork. To thank the Father, you fe say ‘dina igzhabier yim mas gan.” The author then explains that “this mistake doesn’t ruin the song on the contrary, it makes it even more moving.” 100), “when you say ‘satta amassa gana,’ it’s not to give thanks to God, but to someone who do something for you, like giving you a lighter or something. Retrospectively, it’s certainly a leading contributor to the deeply orthodox strain of reggae music – where Rastafarian hymns take root on slower, more meditational instrumentals.įor non-Amharic speakers, what does this mystical song title mean? Founding member Donald Manning recalls, in Thibault Ehrengardt’s Reggae and Politics in the 1970s (p. Driven by powerful horns that give way to entrancing vocals, the original song is instantly recognizable. A rarity amongst the most versioned riddims, the Abyssians’ “Satta Massagana” (plus a myriad of similar spellings) has also been regularly covered by other artists.