Introduction to Ska music

Styles of music aren’t created they are progressively made into a recognised genre through individuals unique styles and social groups or niche audiences forming into a majority or social trend. This is the case with Ska music, ska music is believed to have been made popular in Jamaica in the 1950’s It was originally a mixture of mento and calypso music combined with American influences of jazz and R&B, the music could be heard on large American radio stations based in new Orleans and Miami. Ska music became largely popular in the 1960’s.

Ska music was designed for dancing and the upbeat fast pace of the music was perfect for people to dance to. The music was based on a 4/4 beat and generally would consist of drums, bass, guitar, keyboard or piano and a form of horns e.g. trumpets, trombones or saxophone.

Clement "Coxsone" Dodd was an influential figure in the ska industry. Although he wasn’t a musician he still greatly helped the recognition of ska music. Clement "Coxsone" Dodd was a disk jockey and a producer and in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s Jamaica was about to receive independence from Great Britain. He realised that the country needed pride and recognition so he began to record popular ska bands from Jamaica in his now famous studio ‘studio one’ these albums and singles became widely popular across Jamaica.

Ska music single handily generated social groups across the world heavily in England and Jamaica. In Jamaica the ‘rude boys’ social group was formed this social group was formed of generally unemployed teenagers who mobile dj’s would hire to crash other dj’s street dances. This frequently led to violence and gang feuds were very often formed. Fashionable clothing for the ‘rude boys’ was American gangster wear. The rude boy culture is featured in a large amount of ska lyrics.

Ska music has created a dance format known as skanking and is still hugely popular today in many different genres. Skanking consists off moving your legs to imitate running on the spot to the beat and flailing the arms randomly to the beat. Skanking is very easy to do and has been generated into different styles such as tribal skanking and migraine skanking.

Ska music developed again in the 1970’s. Two tone was formed in England In two-tone ska, traditional ska was fused with the style of music known as Punk rock. The name "2 Tone" refers to a record label that put out these records. The bands were often racially mixed, with black and white members. Two tone ska triggered the development of the social group known as ‘skinheads’ which was a large amount of the British youth as disposable income was introduced and many youths spent it on fashion items made popular by the music industries stars which were heavily ska artists at that time triggering a huge social group known as skinheads.