count ossie and the mystic revelation of rastafari

Biography

Count Ossie, born Oswald Williams on March 26, 1926, in St. Thomas, Jamaica, grew up in a Rasta community where he learned hand drumming and vocal chanting from an early age. In the early 1950s, he became a central figure in Kingston's Rastafari movement, establishing a Rasta community in Rockfort near Wareika Hill on the east side of Kingston. There, he hosted regular "groundations"—gatherings rooted in the Rasta concept of mutual teachings—where musicians, poets, and community members would share songs, parables, and sermons around drum circles. These sessions became a focal point for the Rastafari movement and a training ground for many of Jamaica's most influential musicians. Count Ossie's drumming style synthesized Jamaican Kumina drumming traditions with African ceremonial music of the Bantu people, creating the Nyabinghi rhythms that would become foundational to reggae music.

Despite facing systematic discrimination from Jamaica's Eurocentric music establishment, which imposed a strict ban on Rastafarian music in the 1950s and early 1960s, Count Ossie's influence grew steadily. His drummers were featured on numerous recordings for prominent producers and won gold medals at the Festival of Arts in 1965 and 1966. The pinnacle of his career came with the formation of The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari in 1970, a groundbreaking merger between Count Ossie's drumming ensemble and The Mystics, led by saxophonist Cedric "Im" Brooks. This collaboration produced the masterpiece three-LP set Grounation (1973), which showcased extended spiritual compositions and reinterpreted classics like "Oh Carolina." The group released a follow-up album, Tales of Mozambique (1975), before Count Ossie's untimely death in a road accident on October 18, 1976, at age 50. His legacy endured through The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari, which continued touring and recording into the 1990s, and through his profound influence on the development of reggae and roots music.

Fun Facts

• Count Ossie performed for Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I during his historic visit to Jamaica on April 21, 1966—a date now celebrated annually as Grounation Day by Rastafarians worldwide.
• Despite the Jamaican music establishment's strict ban on Rastafarian music in the 1950s and early 1960s, which prevented his groups from recording and performing publicly, Count Ossie's groundations became so influential that they fundamentally shaped the development of reggae music.
• The title track "Grounation" from his 1973 masterpiece album runs for over 30 minutes and exemplifies Count Ossie's use of repetitive cadences and sermonizing incantations to convey Rastafarian spirituality and griot-like accounts of slavery and hardship.
• After Hurricane Charlie destroyed the Salt Lane Rasta camp in 1951, Count Ossie relocated to Adastra Road in Rockfort, where his groundations at nearby Wareika Hills became such a significant cultural hub that many of Kingston's most important musicians learned about Rastafarianism there.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Brother Job - Burru drummer and spiritual guide who took Count Ossie under his wing at the Salt Lane Rasta camp (Burru drumming traditions and techniques) [Early 1950s]
• Watto King - Prominent Jamaican drum maker and teacher of Brother Job, influencing Count Ossie's understanding of percussion craftsmanship (Drum making and percussion traditions) [Early 1950s]

Key Collaborators

• Cedric "Im" Brooks - Saxophonist and spiritual seeker who led The Mystics; merged his ensemble with Count Ossie's drummers to form The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari (Grounation (1973), Tales of Mozambique (1975)) [1970-1976]
• Tommy McCook - Saxophonist who participated in Count Ossie's regular jam sessions in Kingston (Groundation sessions) [1950s-1960s]
• Rico Rodriguez - Trombonist who participated in Count Ossie's groundation sessions (Groundation sessions) [1950s-1960s]
• Don Drummond - Trombonist and composer who participated in Count Ossie's jam sessions (Groundation sessions) [1950s-1960s]
• The Folkes Brothers - Count Ossie provided percussion backing for their groundbreaking hit (Oh Carolina (early 1960s)) [Early 1960s]
• Harry Mudie, Vincent "Randy" Chin, Sir Coxsone Dodd - Producers who featured Count Ossie's drummers on various recordings (Multiple studio recordings) [1960s]

Artists Influenced

• Ras Michael and the Sons of Negus - Rastafarian drumming group inspired by Count Ossie's work; later recorded with Bob Marley (Rastafarian drumming traditions) [1970s onwards]
• Bob Marley - Reggae legend influenced by Count Ossie's Rastafarian drumming and spiritual approach to music (Reggae and roots music development) [1970s]
• Jamaican reggae and roots music scene - Count Ossie's Nyabinghi rhythms and groundation concept became foundational to reggae music development (Reggae genre formation) [1960s onwards]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Sam's Intro (Soul Jazz Records presents Count Ossie & The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari - Tales of Mozambique)
2. Run One Mile (Soul Jazz Records presents Count Ossie & The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari - Tales of Mozambique)
3. So Long (By The Rivers Of Babylon: Timeless Hymns of Rastafari)
4. Wicked Babylon (Soul Jazz Records presents Count Ossie & The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari - Tales of Mozambique)
5. Let Freedom Reign (Soul Jazz Records presents Count Ossie & The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari - Tales of Mozambique)
6. Narration (Soul Jazz Records Presents Rastafari: The Dreads Enter Babylon 1955-83 (From Nyabinghi, Burro and Grounation to Roots and Revelation))
7. Tales Of Mozambique (Soul Jazz Records presents Count Ossie & The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari - Tales of Mozambique)
8. No Night In Zion (Soul Jazz Records presents Count Ossie & The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari - Tales of Mozambique)
9. Nigerian Reggae (Soul Jazz Records presents Count Ossie & The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari - Tales of Mozambique)
10. Sam's Intro (Tales of Mozambique)

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia