The Congos
Falsetto, tenor and chant stacked until they sound older than the room. The Congos’ Black Ark sessions turned one album into a permanent roots-reggae landmark.
Cedric Myton and Roydel “Ashanti” Johnson formed the core of The Congos, with Watty Burnett adding a deep third voice to the Black Ark sessions that became Heart of the Congos. Lee “Scratch” Perry surrounded their harmonies with Nyahbinghi-influenced percussion, horns, bass, echo and the strange density of his backyard studio. The album’s history was troubled by limited original distribution, but “Fisherman,” “Congoman” and “Open Up the Gate” kept growing in stature through reissues and word of mouth. The group continued in changing forms, yet the 1970s record remains the gravitational center because it sounds both intimate and monumental.