The Congos

The Congos

Infobox musical artist
Name = The Congos


Img_capt = Cover of Heart of the Congos
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Genre = Roots reggae
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The Congos are a reggae vocal group from Jamaica active on and off from the mid-1970s until the present day. They are best known for their "Heart of the Congos" album, recorded with Lee "Scratch" Perry.

History

The Congos formed as the trio(3). "Ashanti" Roy Johnson (tenor) (b. Roydel Johnson, 1947, Hanover, Jamaica), Cedric Myton (falsetto) (b. 1947, Saint Catherine Parish, Jamaica), and Watty Burnett (baritone) (b.early 1950s, Port Antonio, Jamaica).cite book |last=Larkin |first=Colin |title=The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae |year= 1998 |publisher=Virgin Books |isbn=0-7535-0242-9 ] [cite web |url=http://www.reggae-vibes.com/concert/wburnett/wburnett.htm |title=Open the Gate and Let I Man Free - An interview with Watty Burnett |accessdaymonth=08 January |accessyear=2008 |author=Peter I |year=2003 |month=January |work= |publisher=reggae-vibes.com |quote= ] Myton had previously been a member of The Tartans in the late 1960s (along with Prince Lincoln Thompson, Devon Russell and Lindburgh Lewis), and Ras Michael's group, and had recorded with Thompson's Royal Rasses in the mid-1970s.cite book |last=Katz |first=David |title=Solid Foundation - An Oral History of Reggae |year= 2003 |publisher=Bloomsbury |isbn=0-7475-6847-2 ] cite book |last=Barrow |first=Steve |coauthors= Dalton, Peter|title=Reggae: 100 Essential CDs - The Rough Guide |year=1999 |publisher=Rough Guides |isbn=1-85828-567-4 ] He formed the Congos, initially as a duo with Johnson, recording the single "At the Feast" for Lee "Scratch" Perry. Perry expanded the group to a trio with the addition of Burnett, this line-up recording the classic roots reggae album "Heart of the Congos" in 1977 at Perry's Black Ark studio. The album featured illustrious backing singers such as Gregory Isaacs, The Meditations, and Barry LLewellyn and Earl Morgan of The Heptones. The album has been described as "the most consistently brilliant album of Scratch's entire career".cite book |last=Barrow |first=Steve |coauthors= Dalton, Peter |title=Reggae: The Rough Guide |year= 1997 |publisher=Rough Guides |isbn=1-85828-247-0 ]

Perry's previous productions by Max Romeo and Junior Murvin had been huge commercial successes thanks to a deal with Island Records, but Perry was in dispute with Island at the time the Congos' album was finished, so it was released on his own Black Ark label, limiting its success overseas, and causing a rift with the group. The Congos went their own way, organizing a limited pressing of the album themselves. United Kingdom label Go Feet eventually reissued the album in 1980, and although the group had recorded new material since leaving Perry, "Heart of the Congos" proved a hard act to follow and their other releases suffered as a consequence. Albums such as "Congo Ashanti" were sparser and sounded ordinary compared to Perry's kitchen-sink-and-all massive productions.

Burnett quit the group, soon followed by Johnson, who embarked on a solo career. Myton continued to record as The Congos with various other musicians until the mid-1980s.

In the mid-1990s, The Congos reformed, with Myton and Burnett joined by Lindburgh Lewis, several albums following in subsequent years. In 2005 Myton recorded "Give Them the Rights" with a host of backup singers and star session players such as Sly and Robbie and Earl "Chinna" Smith, very much in the spiritual 70s roots vein.In 2006, the UK reggae revival label Blood and Fire released the album "Fisherman Style" featuring a remixed version of the classic cut "Fisherman" from "Heart of the Congos" plus such legends as Horace Andy, Big Youth, Dillinger, Prince Jazzbo, Luciano, Freddie McGregor, Gregory Isaacs, Max Romeo, Mykal Rose, Dean Fraser, Sugar Minott, and U-Roy doing their own new versions over the original rhythm. [cite web |url=http://www.gridface.com/reviews/fisherman_style.html |title=The Congos: Fisherman Style review |accessdaymonth=31 December |accessyear=2007 |author=Jacob Arnold |year=2006 |month=April |publisher=gridface.com ] [cite web |url=http://www.roots-archives.com/release/4367 |title=Various Artists: Fisherman Style |accessdaymonth=31 December |accessyear=2007 |publisher=Roots Archives ]

Album discography

*"Heart of the Congos" (1977) Black Ark
*"Congo Ashanti" (1979) Congo Ashanty/CBS
*"Image of Africa" (1979) Congo Ashanty/Epic/CBS
*"Face The Music" (1981) Go Feet
*"Best Of Congos vol. 1" (1983) Tafari
*"Natty Dread Rise Again" (1997) RAS
*"Revival" (1998) VP
*"Live at Maritime Hall: San Francisco" (2000) 2B1
*"Lion Treasure" (2001) JDC/M10
*"Give Them the Rights" (2005) Young Tree
*"Fisherman Style" (2006) Blood and Fire
*"Cock Mouth Kill Cock" (2006) Explorer Music also issued as "Feast" (2006) Kingston Sounds
*"Swinging Bridge" (2006) Mediacom/Nocturne

References

External links

* [http://www.roots-archives.com/artist/55 The Congos at Roots Archives]
* [http://rootsdub.free.fr/Congos%20-%20disco.htm The Congos album discography from Rootsdub]


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  • The Congos — sind eine Reggae Gruppe aus Jamaika, die seit Mitte der 70er Jahre bis in die Gegenwart unregelmäßig aktiv ist. Die größte Bekanntheit erlangten sie durch ihr Album Heart of the Congos, das sie mit Lee Scratch Perry aufnahmen. Inhaltsverzeichnis… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • The Congos — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Congo. Cedric Myton des Congos en concert à Chartres le 21 octobre 2006 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Heart Of The Congos — Album par The Congos Sortie 1977 Enregistrement Black Ark Genre(s) Reggae Producteur(s) Lee Scratch Perry …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Heart of the congos — Album par The Congos Sortie 1977 Enregistrement Black Ark Genre(s) Reggae Producteur(s) Lee Scratch Perry …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Heart of the Congos — Infobox Album | Name = Heart of the Congos Type = Album Artist = The Congos Released = 1977 Recorded = 1976–1977, Black Ark, Kingston, Jamaica Genre = Roots reggae Length = Label = Producer = Lee Perry Reviews = * Allmusic Rating|5|5… …   Wikipedia

  • Heart of the Congos — Album par The Congos Sortie 1977 Enregistrement Black Ark Genre Reggae Producteur Lee Scratch Perry …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Congos — The Congos sind eine Reggae Gruppe aus Jamaika, die seit Mitte der 70er Jahre bis in die Gegenwart unregelmäßig aktiv ist. Die größte Bekanntheit erlangten sie durch ihr Album Heart of the Congos, das sie mit Lee Scratch Perry aufnahmen.… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • The Meditations — are a reggae vocal harmony group from Jamaica formed in late 1974. They have released several studio albums and were still performing in the 2000s.HistoryThe Meditations were formed in late 1974, when Danny Clarke left The Righteous Flames,… …   Wikipedia

  • The Meditations — est un groupe de reggae, faisant partie de cette grande famille du reggae que sont les trios vocaux, aux côtés de groupes comme les Wailers, les Melodians, les Gladiators, Israel Vibration ou encore The Abyssinians. Le groupe est composée de… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • The Tartans — were a rocksteady group who came together in 1967 in Kingston, Jamaica. The members were initially Prince Lincoln Thompson, Cedric Myton, Devon Russell and Lindberg Lewis.Their recorded output included Far Beyond the Sun for Duke Reid s Treasure… …   Wikipedia

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