Count Ossie
Tales of Mozambique

Somewhere in Kingston, the forties/fifties…

Or the origin of reggae...

Few things are as fascinating as the first link in a chain. That's why it's wonderful when the scent of origin makes its way into the heart of mystery. And it's also wonderful when the story of that origin unfolds, holding together both continuity and legend. Then, of course, the mystery remains as such.

And thank goodness, I would add…

So yes, reggae was born, or began to be born, from the encounter of two communities of outcasts, the Rasta (those of the living black god) and the Burru (those of the Ashanti drums).

And Ashanti drums and a living black god (meaning Africa, Africa, and more Africa) were blasphemy for Jamaica of that time.

And, anyway, what precisely happened was that somewhere in the suburbs of Kingston the two communities exchanged their knowledge (music for faith...faith for music) until that knowledge became one.

That suburb, located near Kingston's waste dump, was the home of the outcasts and, in a sense, the dump of a dump. But perhaps for this reason, it was there that the spark was ignited.

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Even Count Ossie, one of Jamaica’s most exciting and seminal musicians, learned to play percussion from a Burru man and, by the end of the forties, he and his drummers were engaging in fabulous nighttime improvisations alongside some of Kingston's best jazz musicians.

All of this happened at Salt Lane, an ultra-notorious area, where our protagonist set up a kind of headquarters for mysticism in music.

And when a hurricane in 1951 destroyed that utopian place, Count Ossie certainly did not give up and immediately created another on the hills of Wayreka, where very special gatherings of "spiritual communion, musical composition, smoking herbs from chalice and reasoning" began to be held.

By the end of the fifties, many of the musicians who would contribute to the ska revolution were also accustomed to participating in those fabulous sessions of healing through music.

And, at the start of that revolution, Prince Buster, one of the great producers of music with an off-beat, had the idea to insert Burru drums in the track "Oh Carolina", a single (more or less ska) recorded under the name Folks Brothers & Count Ossie.

So, that single, despite initial censorship, was a resounding success. The heartbeat of Africa thus burst into the (previously little African) heart of the country's discography.

In short, what Count Ossie did was, and I quote from a random reggae bible, "bring the Rastafarian sound into the Jamaican popular consciousness". Not exactly a small feat.

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And those gatherings of "spiritual communion, musical composition, smoking herbs from a chalice and reasoning"?

Well, to get an idea, it might be useful to listen to this "Tales of Mozambique", the second album by Count Ossie & Mystic Revelation Of Rastafari, where in their absolute purity, African roots stand alongside an experimentalism that reaches, among other things, up to jazz avant-garde.

With the Rastafarian message always at the center, obviously...

Here you go with a baby track by track (in six steps): (one) it starts with a near Coltrane (two) here's flute, narration, and tribal song (three) the sweetness of Africa reveals itself (four) sweetness doubles in an alleluia that almost makes you cry (five) some pure tribalism (six) perfect rhythmic hypnosis for a gut-wrenching African ballad.

Then there would also be (seven) (eight) (nine) and (ten), but never say too much.

What else to add? Well, for example, someone spoke of a more tribal version of Sun Ra and who am I to argue?

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Then the legendary record, let's say the one that if you browse the web everyone mentions, isn't this one, but the first, "Grounation" a behemoth of an hour and twenty-five minutes, ex triple vinyl...and since I feel guilty about reviewing the other, I'm listening to it now…

And, beyond the fact that, to the sound of those drums, my fingers on the keyboard glide beautifully, I can tell you that this "Grounation" is…

IT'S SOMETHING ABSOLUTELY OUT OF THIS WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now, for instance, there's a track that reminds me of "Scarborough Fair (????). Do you know "Scarborough Fair"? Yes? Well, try to imagine it with African drums, if you can.

And now there are tribal saxophones, as rhythmic as the percussion, while a flute goes mad with freedom. And the voices do the same.

And I'll stop here...just to whet your appetite…

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Two things to wrap up…

Count Ossie & Mystic Revelation of Rastafari was an ensemble of extraordinary musicians. Among them, however, I feel it's necessary to mention Cedric “Im” Brooks, for if the Count was the ultimate leader and master drummer, he was responsible for the wind section.

Then, for example, the singers are defined as "The Narrator" "The Philosopher" "The Poet"…

Oh utopia, my utopia….

Finally, on the web you can find a photo of Count Ossie & Mystic Revelation of Rastafari in the company of Duke Ellington.

Well, it seems that the Duke was a dedicated mentor to our guys. I don't know about you, but it seems to me the best way to close this write-up...

Aloha…