Founding Abyssinian Lynford dies
Lynford Manning, a founding member of roots-reggae giants The Abyssinians, died on June 25 in Miramar, Florida.
He was in his late 70s.
Manning, along with his older brother Donald and lead singer Bernard Collins, formed the group in Jones Town in 1968. They are best known for Satta Massagana, the seminal 1971 song regarded by many as reggae’s official anthem.
Donald, Lynford, and older brother Carlton were a member of Carlton and The Shoes, which had a big hit song in 1968 with Love Me Forever out of Studio One.
Satta Massagana made The Abyssinians an underground force during the early 1970s when the Rastafarian movement in Jamaica gained momentum.
Their follow-up songs, such as Declaration of Rights, Y Mas Gan, and Forward On To Zion, influenced emerging acts like Third World, who covered Satta Massagana for their self-titled 1976 debut album.
The Mannings and Collins also recorded Satta Massagana, a 1976 album co-produced by Geoffrey Chung and Clive Hunt.
While Donald Manning and Collins continued to tour as The Abyssinians during the 1980s and 1990s, Lynford became a Christian and gave up secular music. He was an active member of his church in South Florida, where he lived for over 30 years.
