REGGAE LIVES COM THE ABYSSINIANS + BIG YOUTH
May 9 @ 20:30
The 5th edition of Reggae Lives returns with two living legends of Jamaican roots reggae: The Abyssinians and Big Youth!
The Abyssinians are a Jamaican roots reggae group, famous for their vocal harmonies and for promoting the Rastafari movement in their lyrics. The vocal trio was originally formed in 1968 by Bernard Collins and Donald Manning, with Lynford Manning joining them later.
The Abyssinians’ music is a true celebration of Rastafari, with “Satta Massagana” standing as one of reggae’s greatest anthems. Along with “Declaration of Rights,” “Forward unto Zion,” “African Race,” and “The Good Lord,” it is considered a major reggae classic.
Big Youth is the stage name of Manley Augustus Buchanan (sometimes called Jah Youth), born in Trenchtown, Kingston. He is a Jamaican DJ, widely known for his work during the 1970s. At that time, as he once remarked, “DJs were the closest to the people because there was no institutional control over sound systems.”
He was one of the first reggae artists to profess his Rastafarian beliefs through music and is best known for his work in the early to mid-1970s, when he released the motorcycle-inspired single “Ace Ninety Skank.” Described as a “stylistic and artistic innovator of the highest order” by the Encyclopedia of Popular Music and as an “important pioneer” by the Encyclopedia of Rock, Big Youth’s style quickly made him the most popular artist in Jamaica, enjoying fame and sales that rivaled even those of his contemporary Bob Marley.
In the 2000s, Big Youth teamed up with modern dub producer Twilight Circus to record two notable singles, “Daniel in the Lions’ Den” and “What We Need Is Love,” in a style that harkens back to the sound of his classic 1970s work. Today, he is regarded as an elder within the reggae and Rastafari communities and still records and performs music in his spare time.
The Lisbon concert will be yet another great celebration of roots reggae—unmissable moments in the company of The Abyssinians and Big Youth! Doors open at 8:30 p.m., and the concert starts at 9:30 p.m.