Congo Ashanty Album

Introducing the second album by The Congos called “Congo Ashanty” , which follows their first album “Heart of the Congos”, produced by Lee Scratch Perry and recorded at Black Ark Studio. The release of the album " Congo Ashanty " in June 1979 in France by CBS, as an independent production was a small event because it was about the first jamaican product of being pressed and distributed in France before the rest of the world. (the english, hurt, refused it downright).

CBS was so satisfied with the issue of that album, that they released a disco 45 incl. “Youthman” and “Hail the World of Jah” with the same cover (CBS possessed no other photo) … A European tour was also planed, especially that according to CBS, the album would have been already sold to 17000 copies. On the CBS/Columbia issues, the mentionned producer is Nadette Duget. On the two jamaican issues, you can read : produced by Congos, co-produced by Nadette Duget.

The album “Congo Ashanty” and consequently the group was proposed to CBS as independent production. Cedric more or less heard that people of CBS intended to make them sign an artist's contract. But nothing decided afterward.

note : this album has been reissued in the late 90's on the VP label, which does not appear in the following discography...

JACKPOT

The devil tink sey

Him ketch jackpot

Little did he know

Him pot ketch trash

I tell him

Little did he know

Him pot ketch trash

Be careful of the strange voices

In the wilderness

For they will lead you

In desolate places

Confession is good for the soul

Manifestation that’s how I know

The rich man has all the food

In is barn

The poor man get non

So he get to suffer

The preaching of the gospel

It’s over now

The teaching of the Isis, has just begun

The devil tink say

Him ketch jackpot

DAYS CHASING DAYS

I see days changing days

For the elect sake

I see the sun is getting hotter

For the elect sake

One forty and more thousand

Ithrens and daughters

One forty and more thousand

Ithrens and children

One forty and more thousand

Were save by the hands

Save by the hands

Of his Majesty

Days changing days

For the elect sake

They fight against the lad

In every way

They fight against the lad

And he shall conquer

Jah Jah shall conquer

I can see invasion of christianity

Who fight against the saints

Of his Majesty

Cedric Myton : lead vocal

Watty Burnett, Roy Johnson : background vocals

Santa : drums

Sly Dunbar : Drums “Hail the world of Jah”

Philippe Quilichini : bass

Willie Lindo : rhythm guitar

Earl Chinna Smith : rhythm guitar “Hail the world of Jah” “Days changing days”

Lennox Gordon : lead guitar

Ernest Ranglin : lead guitar “Hail the world of Jah”

Keith sterling, Harold Butler : organ, electric piano, acoustic piano

Tommy Mc Cook : Sax

Congo, Jones, Scully, Sticky : percussions

Special thanks to Joseph Hills of Culture

NANA

People keep looking for sign

And wonder

Tell dem they got to look out for it

And wonder

Tell dem they got to prepare for it

My children

Please

Tell me

What’s really on your mind

You looking for a miracle

Before you realize

But you don’t understand

What’s happening around

You just don’t understand

What’s happening around

My people

We’re in the valley of decision

Look how long

We have been robed of our culture

Brutalize and scorn

My people

We’re in the valley of decision

Look how long

We have been robed of our culture

Brutalize and scorn

People keep looking for sign

And wonder

Tell dem they got to look out for it

Tell dem they got to prepare for it

Judgement coming, watch out, judgement coming…

THIEF IS IN THE VINEYARD

Thief is in the vineyard

Trying to spoil the harvest (bis)

They trying to change

The thought of love and happiness

To lust and disgrace

Shame and disgrace (bis)

Thief is in the vineyard

Trying to spoil the harvest (bis)

But Jah is going to pluck them out

pluck them out

With lightening and thunder

Right now

But Jah is going to pluck them out

pluck them out

With lightening and yunder

All their worship is pride

And vanity, vanity, avnity

They got no love in their heart

For humanity, hunanity, humanity

All their worship is pride

And vanity, vanity, avnity

They got no space in their heart

For reality, reality, reality

Thief is in the vineyard

Trying to spoil the harvest (bis)

If you can recall the colour

Of the red white and blue

It’s the symbol for the barbeman too

It goes on and on

To the policeman too

It moves on and on

To the soldier man too

Thief is in the vineyard…

Many thanks to Nico M. for providing this article.

Here is an extract of an interview made by a french rock-magazine in 1980 in jamaica with Cedric Myton :

Reporter : Have you informations about this tour?

Cedric Myton : Not at all. We have no musicians, no ways to rehearsal, to make things a little more positive. It was effectively question of a tour in Europe for our promotion. And things do not seem to decide.

R : What musicians do you intend to set in case the tour would take place?

CM : (Violent) the problem is not even still there. If we had money to pay the musicians, we could already begin rehearsal. But we have even no instruments! Otherwise here it would be pure jam session from morning till night. Really, I do not sincerely know what’s happening. We do not even know if the album works or not.

R : Where did you record the album Congo Ashanty? The production and the sound generally are very impressive for a reggae record...

CM : The majority was recorded at Harry J. But we had beforehand recorded three titles at Aquarius: “Thieves in the Vineyard”, “Youth man” and “Days chasing Days”. Then we changed for Dynamic Studio where was recorded “Jackpot”.

Finally we settled down at Harry J for the rhythmic sessions of ”Yoyo”, “Nana”, “Hail the World of Jah” and “Education of Brainwashing”. The lead vocals were recorded at Harry J also.

The backing vocals at Aquarius and the mixing at Dynamic by Geoffrey Chung. This method allowed us to give a different atmosphere for every title.

HAIL THE WORLD OF JAH

Hail the world of jah

Take heed to his warning

Hail the world of jah

Take heed to his calling

Children, leave out the vulture

Children, stick to your culture

Children, of Israel

Everyday, everyday you disobey Jah call

You disobey Jah, you disobey Jah call,

Tell him they daughta dem

they daughta dem

Take too long to see the light

They daughta dem,

Those painted lips

Those painted eyebrowns (bis)

Those painted fingernails

Those painted toes (bis)

They daughta dem,

Take too long to see the light (bis)

You come from Zion with a bannier in your hand

You reach the river Jourdain and turn back (bis)

Children, leave out the vulture

Children, stick to your culture

Children, of Israel

Hail the world of jah

Take heed to his warning…

EDUCATION OF BRAINWASHING

This is a message to the nation

My children hear, what I have to say

To you

Every day the prophet give a warning

A warning to the nation

Education of brainwashing

Let us give thanks and praises

To our guide and king (bis)

We hail him by his name, Jah rastafari

We hail him by his name, Negus for I

We hail him by his name, Acabala for I

We hail him by his name, Eldoni I

Where were you when Jah blessing

Were passing by

We were always the same

Today and forever

We pray

YOUTH MAN

Who is gonna stop them now

Congoman is coming

With his hope in his hand

Jah, Jah in his heart

We pray daily

To Jah Ayarda (bis)

Hey youth man

Don’t let dem take

Yours rights from you (bis)

You got to understand

Congoman Ashanti man

That you’re Jamaican born

African man

And each and every man

Is just another man

Just another man

And if I don’t get my rights

In this time

It will be judgement on the land

You got to understand

To Jah Ayarda

YOYO

See the dreadlocks playing yoyo

He have no sorrows for tomorrow

Who knows, who knows what he knows

Who knows, who knows where he goes

See the dreadlocks in his onion bag

Don’t try to be lick him

He’s a highest esteem

He’s a man of his own

See the dreadlocks playing yoyo

He have no sorrows for tomorrow

Who knows, who knows what he knows

Who knows, who knows where he goes

See the dreadlocks in his onion bag

Don’t try to be lick him

He’s in sack cloth and ashes

History repeat itself again

Hail the dread upon the hill

And the dread upon the flat

They are one

This is the generation of man

That’s seek thy faith ho Jah man,

Ho Jah man…