Jamaican musical style developed in the late 1950s, which took elements from traditional Jamaican folk music of mento and calypso and of American music, including jazz and particularly R&B. In fact, the earliest ska songs were basically "Jamaicanized" R&B songs. The inovation that gave ska it's trademark sound was placing the accent guitar and piano rhythms on the upbeats as opposed to the downbeats, as in R&B.
The jazz influence came primarily from the studio bands that often backed the artists who recorded for the various Jamaican studios during sessions. It is so because many members of these bands where jazz musicians themselves, often a product of the famed Alpha School of Music.
Ska is the precursor to rocksteady, reggae and the various offshoots to reggae. Ska was popular abroad, especially in England during the late 60s as a result of West Indian immigration to England, where it was the music of choice for the emerging skinhead subculture and is still a dominant feature of the so-called "trad skin" subculture today. Ska also had a revival in England in the late 70s/early 80s with the emergence of punk and a "third-wave revival" in the U.S. in the 90s, but by then the sound had changed much from the original sound that permiated Jamaica during those formative early years of ska music.
The jazz influence came primarily from the studio bands that often backed the artists who recorded for the various Jamaican studios during sessions. It is so because many members of these bands where jazz musicians themselves, often a product of the famed Alpha School of Music.
Ska is the precursor to rocksteady, reggae and the various offshoots to reggae. Ska was popular abroad, especially in England during the late 60s as a result of West Indian immigration to England, where it was the music of choice for the emerging skinhead subculture and is still a dominant feature of the so-called "trad skin" subculture today. Ska also had a revival in England in the late 70s/early 80s with the emergence of punk and a "third-wave revival" in the U.S. in the 90s, but by then the sound had changed much from the original sound that permiated Jamaica during those formative early years of ska music.
* Byron Lee & the Dragonaires
* Clement "Coxsone" Dodd
* Desmond Dekker
* Duke Reid
* Eric "Monty" Morris
* Ernest Ranglin
* The Ethiopians
* The Melodians
* Prince Buster
* The Skatalites
* Toots and the Maytals
* The Wailers
* Clement "Coxsone" Dodd
* Desmond Dekker
* Duke Reid
* Eric "Monty" Morris
* Ernest Ranglin
* The Ethiopians
* The Melodians
* Prince Buster
* The Skatalites
* Toots and the Maytals
* The Wailers
by Chris Rodrigez July 29, 2005
Ska is a type of music that has an upbeat guitar sound. It is normally acompanied by horns but not always. Ska has been around since the late 1950's and Reggae originated from it. Ska, today, has more of a punk influence to it. It was not originated from punk, since Ska came around before punk. The two sounds mixed together when Ska hit the America music scene.
by Adrian February 21, 2003
An awesome type of music. sometimes with trumpets, trombones, and/or saxophones! Upbeat, and get to skank to! oh and reggae came from it,not the other way around
by Jenn August 22, 2003
A style of early Jamaican music combining elements of mento (a form of calypso) with American jazz and R&B. A precursor of rock steady and reggae.
There are actually three waves of ska. The original Jamaican form developed in the late 1950's and early 60's, a revival in England in the late 70's/early 80's, and a second, mainly American, revival in the mid to late 90's.
There are actually three waves of ska. The original Jamaican form developed in the late 1950's and early 60's, a revival in England in the late 70's/early 80's, and a second, mainly American, revival in the mid to late 90's.
by The Nightfox February 19, 2005
A music genre created in Jamaica. The orginal music called ska is now called first wave. Then it went to England and became two tone because of racial unity between black and whites. Then it moved into America and became third wave because it was more punk influenced in America. Ska bands are defined because of the guitars and keyboards playing on the upbeat, not because of horn sections, which are also commonly ascociated with ska. Ska gave birth to reggae, rocksteady, dub, and punk. Ska is also considered the opposite of emo because emo is usually more sadder sounding whereas ska is more happy sounding. The horn sections in ska bands are usually made up of saxes, trumpets, and trombones.
First Wave Band - Skatalites
Two Tone Band - Specials
Third Wave Band - Toasters
-Hey man what are you listening to?
-Ska!
-Ska rules, man!
Two Tone Band - Specials
Third Wave Band - Toasters
-Hey man what are you listening to?
-Ska!
-Ska rules, man!
by TheSkaboss August 8, 2004
ska is a type of music that came about around the 1950s as a result of the mixture of jazz the blues rock and other popular forms of music at the time. some bands started to play it a bit slower and this evolved into rocksteady which evolved into reggae. Today ska is more rock influenced than anything else but it will always have an upbeat guitare sound and usually a horn section.
The Toasters are probably the band that best embodies what ska really is and of course the Skatelites.
by Jake Richardson April 29, 2004