The Abyssinians
- Wednesday, may 6
- 7:30 PM-11:00 PM
- Sala Apolo Carrer Nou de la Rambla, 113, 08004 Barcelona, Spain
Info
On 6 May 2026 at Sala Apolo (Barcelona), The Abyssinians bring to the stage the roots reggae they helped define in Kingston in the late 1960s. Formed by Bernard Collins alongside brothers Donald and Lynford Manning, the trio anchors its identity in tight harmonies, a contemplative pulse and lyrics that draw on the Rastafari imagination, with turns in Amharic. “Satta Massagana,” written in 1969 and turned into an anthem, marked the transition from rocksteady to roots and still guides a repertoire where spirituality and social commentary coexist. Live, their group singing melds with deep basslines and echoes of soul and gospel, with tracks from their albums Forward On To Zion and Arise that keep that meditative, choral sound alive.
Big Youth, Manley Augustus Buchanan, shares the bill with his signature toasting, which originated in Kingston’s sound systems. Early on influenced by U-Roy, he refined a phrasing halfway between speech and melody over roots riddims that took shape in singles like “S.90 Skank” and “Chi Chi Run” and on the album Screaming Target. His lyrics travel through everyday urban life, social justice and Rasta spirituality, with an improvisational sense of commentary that helped bridge roots and early dancehall. On stage, he projects that dry, flexible diction, toys with classic versions and sustains the sound-system pulse in a concert setting.
Line-up
Venue
Sala Apolo
Carrer Nou de la Rambla, 113, 08004 Barcelona, Spain