Ras Michael & The Sons Of Negus - Rastafari (1975)

Ras Michael, since the early ’60′s, has released over twenty records on Shananchie, VP, SST, Trojan and Live & Learn.

Negus is a title of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie, the Almighty God of the Rastafarian movement, and none pays him more eloquent homage than Ras Michael and his group, the Sons of Negus. This is the beat of the heart, based on the original "instrument of ten strings," the hand-beaten drum. On Dadawah in 1975, Michael took a religious ceremonial gathering as the basis for an album of elegant poetry and raw, visceral power. Later, eschewing minimalism, such works as Promised Land Sounds added electronics and produced a primeval psychedelia without compare in Jamaican history. This is the sound of the Roots Church in the 21st century, highly charged hymns for humanity's future survival.                

"Rastafari" features more Rasta gospel music includes the essential "None a Jah Jah Children No Cry" and "Mr. Brown." Ras Michael's vocals sound like they are half-sung and half-chanted and go with the music perfectly. The backing vocals are excellent too, a mix between singing and chanting. This style of chanting would seem to me to be an obvious African influence and this can be heard in some of the instruments and arrangements on the album. The musicians used is also very interesting. The guitars on the album are played by Pete Tosh and another Wailer Earl "Chinna" Smith. Bass duties are mainly by Robbie Shaespeare. Pete Tosh also plays the clarinet on some tracks.           

Tracklist:

A1	None A Jah Jah Children
A2	Birds In The Treetop
A3	Truth And Right
A4	On Broadway
A5	Glory Dawn
B1	Mr Brown
B2	Sufferation
B3	It Is No Secret
B4	Give Love

Ras Michael & The Sons Of Negus - Rastafari
(192 kbps, cover art included)