The Congos

Heart of the Congos

When it was first formed in 1975, the Congos was a vocal duo consisting of Cedric Myton and Roy Johnson. The two recorded a single for the legendary Lee Perry, entitled At The Feast. He added a third member of the group, Watty Burnett, to give it a fuller sound on their first album. Perry released the Heart of the Congos LP on his own Black Ark label in 1977 after a falling out with Island Records, which consequently limited the success of the album. Disappointed by this change of events, the Congos parted ways with Perry (Larkin). Though it did not sell remarkably well at the time, Heart of the Congos has been reissued many times since and remains a classic roots reggae album due in large part to its connection with Lee Perry. It is considered by many to be one of his finest productions.

After Perry

The Congos set out to make a name for themselves, releasing two albums on their own Congo Ashanty label. Overseas they were able to pick up distribution from CBS for both Image of Africa (released as Cedric Myton & the Congos) and Congo Ashanti. Heart of the Congos, however, proved to be a tough act to follow without the studio magic of Lee Perry. In 1980 the group parted ways, but the members continued to make creative use of its name in order to maintain a fan connection.

Reunion

In 2006 the trio at last reunited. They went straight to releasing two albums: Cock Mouth Kill Cock and Swinging Bridge. On top of that, they met with great success by touring Europe in large part due to the classic status of their first album (Roots Archives).

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