In 1970 Jamaican music legend, Jimmy Cliff, was behind a recording that used powerful Nyabinghi drumming as the song’s primary percussion track, “Bongo Man“:
A couple years ago I picked up one of those Warner Brothers artist samplers at a local flea market, this one a double album from the late 70s, Pumping Vinyl.
One of the standout tracks on this 2-LP compilation is a newly-arranged version of “Bongo Man” taken from Cliff’s then-current Warner Brothers album, 1978’s Give Thankz:
This version of “Bongo Man” was released as the B-side of the “Love I Need” 45. Backing vocals are provided by The Meditations with Nyabinghi percussion by Ras Michael & The Sons of Negus. If you check out Jimmy Cliff’s MySpace page, you will find this track there, as well.
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LINK to Nyabinghi on Zero to 180