The Congos

The Congos recorded some of the most alluring and exciting roots reggae of all time. Myton and Johnson, both serious Rastafarian artists and members of the Niyabinghi Order, first emerged as The Congos on a single, ‘At The Feast’, for producer Lee Perry (1976). Before teaming with Johnson, Myton had been a member of the Tartans and had also sung with Ras Michael and recorded with Prince Lincoln And The Royal Rasses. Perry had been auditioning vocal groups at his Black Ark Studio in Kingston for a project he had in mind: a roots vocal album featuring a classic falsetto/tenor/baritone line-up. However, The Congos proved to be more than he had expected, although they did not initially feature a baritone. Early singles ‘Ark Of The Covenant’ and ‘Congo Man’ confirmed the prospect of something special, even by Perry’s own high standards. Perry added Black Ark regular Watty Burnett to the group to handle deeper chores, and an album was completed.