180: Satta Massagana, by The Abyssinians

The Abyssinians (Jamaica)
Satta Massagana (1976)
14 tracks, 47 minutes (1993 reissue)
Spotify (sort of – it’s a different version, but a lot of the tracks are the same) ∙ iTunes

I've written in the past about the 'traditional' sacred music of the Rastafari, the drums and chant of the nyabinghi, but there's another religious music of the Rastas that is much more famous: it is, of course, reggae.

Roots reggae to be exact. Reggae has its origins in many forms, from the Jamaican styles of ska, mento and nyabinghi and American imports of soul, rhythm and blues and rock. As such, reggae itself comes in many forms, from the crooning pop of lover's rock to the funkier side of things made famous by Bob Marley. Roots reggae, for me, is on another plane entirely. It's deeper in so many ways: the lyrics are invariably about Rastafari and themes of black liberation; the groove is slow and weighty, as if nothing can stop it once it's got a momentum; the melody is bluesy and it's often – like so much religious music – based around short repeating phrases.

The Abyssinians are one of the most famous roots reggae bands, and Satta Massagana, their debut from 1976, is one of the genre's most crucial albums. It's actually a little bit more on the poppy side of roots, but it doesn't suffer from that at all, and everything that makes roots special is all there and accounted for. There are so many classics on this album, including the opener 'Declaration of Rights', but the stand out has to be the title track. The band's name shows their deep affinity with the Rasta motherland of Ethiopia, and 'Satta Massagana' shows that this is more than lip service – with lyrics in Amharic, Ethiopia's most widely-spoken language, the group show their passion for the country and the people of Ethiopia in line with Marcus Garvey's teachings.

Religion is the inspiration for so many of the world's most passionate music, from qawwali and gnawa to Gregorian chant and gospel, but if you're looking for the deepest grooves alongside the equally deep religious themes, roots reggae is surely your port of call…and you could do a lot worse than Satta Massagana by the Abyssinians to fill you up with that coolest of religious fervours.