Ska is a musical genre that combines Jamaican music such as calypso, jazz, blues, and rock. Most people are familiar with ska music from the 1980s, which was popularized by bands such as the Specials and Madness. The form, however, predates the 1980s by a long time. Its origins are thought to date back to the 1930s.
Reggae is frequently mistakenly regarded as the forerunner of ska, but ska influenced the development of reggae. The earliest versions incorporated New Orleans jazz rhythms with Jamaican instruments. There was also piano and guitar in the mix, and the music was typically upbeat. Instead of the traditional count of jazz and rock, where the stress is directly on the beat, the stress is on the half beat. Reggae music reflects this rhythm as well.
Prince Buster, Byron Lee, and Peter Tosh, who would later be known for his contributions to reggae, were all part of the first wave of ska music. Prince Buster, Peter Tosh, and Byron Lee performed at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York, introducing this music to America, which had previously only been heard in the West Indies.
Ska versions of The Rolling Stones and The Beatles’ music were frequently recorded as rock music progressed. As a result, ska underwent significant changes, resulting in a musical form that was considered alternative rather than mainstream. Second wave ska of the late 1970s and 1980s was clearly influenced by the addition of rock and roll.
The majority of second-generation ska music was recorded by the British label 2 Tone Records. The music was a pleasant contrast to punk rock and new wave, retaining the joyous beat of the first wave. The majority of the lyrics were amusing. Vocal tracts were notoriously difficult to record and perform because they required rapid verbalizations akin to tongue twisters. Without a lithe tongue, the English Beat’s “Mirror in the Bathroom” is nearly impossible to sing. In addition, almost all second wave bands featured talented horn sections, which set them apart from other instrumental music at the time.
Ska is also credited with influencing rap music because it featured toasting, or spoken lyrics based on the music’s rhythms. Toasting sounds almost exactly like rapping if all but the percussion elements of a song are removed, but the subject matter is usually light.
Third wave ska emerged in the late 1990s, with bands like Less Than Jake and The Fish Bones contributing to the genre. The Third Wave is often more aggressive, with punk rhythms. The art form is known for its racial equality and tolerance.
Second-wave ska has resurfaced in popularity, and these tunes can now be heard in commercials. This new interest can be attributed in part to the television channel VH1. The English Beat was recently the subject of a show on the channel about attempting to resurrect the band. Although they were unable to re-unite all of the English Beat members to record a song, several members of the original band have been touring together since the show aired, most recently in the United States.
It’s difficult to listen to ska and not want to get up and dance. Because the majority of the lyrics are silly, fun, and relatively tame, introducing this style of music to children is often a great way to teach them to dance, as they can’t help but dance to the infectious rhythms. The majority of second wave bands have released DVDs of their music or have made original songs available for download on the Internet.