- Heart of the Congos (40th Anniversary Edition) · 1977
- Heart of the Congos (40th Anniversary Edition) · 1977
- Heart of the Congos (40th Anniversary Edition) · 1977
- Heart of the Congos (40th Anniversary Edition) · 1977
- Live at Maritime Hall San Francisco (2b1 Maritime) · 2000
- King Scratch (Musical Masterpieces from the Upsetter Ark-ive) · 2022
- Foot Prints In the Sand · 2022
- Foot Prints In the Sand · 2022
- Foot Prints In the Sand · 2022
- Foot Prints In the Sand · 2022
- Foot Prints In the Sand · 2022
- Foot Prints In the Sand · 2022
- Foot Prints In the Sand · 2022
Essential Albums
- Though 1977’s Heart of the Congos is, arguably, the quintessential roots reggae album, its breathtaking innovations transcend genre limitations. Reggae had little precedent for the high, crystalline vocals of Cedric Myton and Ashanti Roy, much less Watty Burnett’s splendid rasping baritone. Tunes like “Congoman” are built around the pulse of a primitive rhythm box, but it’s embellished with a bassline that still sounds audaciously futuristic. On “Fisherman”, they paint a subtle portrait of Jamaican life while imparting a sense of overwhelming spiritual grandeur. And producer Lee “Scratch” Perry graced the album with some of his most visionary work.
Albums
- 2003
Music Videos
Appears On
- Rod Anton & The Ligerians
About The Congos
Cedric Myton's unique falsetto in combination with the distinctive tenor of Roydel Johnson is "the heart of the Congos." Though the two made only one album together, it is among the greatest in reggae history. Gorgeous songs and inspired performances were magically layered by the hyper-inventive production skills of Lee Perry, and the result was the most completely successful of all the many great albums produced by the legendary "Scratch" at his Black Ark Studio. Myton went on to record with others as the Congos, and Johnson as Congo Ashanti Roy--notably with the U.K.-based On-U Sound collective.
- ORIGIN
- Kingston, Jamaica
- FORMED
- 1977
- GENRE
- Reggae