Ska!
SKA!
Imagine this: spring break 1962, Jamaica. You are strolling down the streets of
Kingston, enjoying the cool sea breeze and the delightful Caribbean climate.
The streets are filled with many sounds. Cars' horns honking, children playing,
and people shuffling by. There is one sound, however, that rises above all the
hustle and bustle. Horns, guitars, organs, drums, emanating from smoke-filled
clubs and bar rooms, fill you ears with a lush sound. This is the sound of ska.
Ska is an old Jamaican form of music that blossomed when Jamaica won its
independence from England in 1962. At this time, a man named Clement Dodd
decided to create a uniquely Jamaican danceable sound. Ska is a potpourri of
different musical styles; and draws influence from many countries. It takes
swing, jazz, big band, soul, and rhythm and blues from the U.S., and couples it
with calypso, ya-ya, and mento (a form of calypso) from the islands to create
the Jamaican ska. The sound of ska is unique to Jamaica and is the original
"music of Jamaica." Its accented upbeat, bouncy rhythms, and colorful horn lines
made it perfect for dancing. Ska got its name from the sound made by the guitar
as it played on the off beats. This music served as the basis for the slower
rocksteady music style which later spawned the ever-popular reggae genre. Ska
music finally made its world debut in New York at the 1964 world's fair at the
Jamaican exhibition. By this time ska was an established musical genre. Ska
later emigrated to England where the English began to develop their own style
ska, which is seen in the second wave of ska.
Ska music can be divided into three waves, or periods. Each wave has a
characteristic style and sound distinguishing it from the others. Each wave
also has bands that represent them respectively. The first...
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