Ska

=Ska Music= toc

Ska originated in Jamaica in the 1950’s and is a mixture of a Mento (a mix of African Rhythm and European Tunes) and Jazz. This mixture was called //shuffle//, and used 12 bar blues chord progressions, boogie bass lines and mento guitar rhythms. As the style progressed more and more, emphasis was placed on the offbeat rhythms common to the Mento sound. The offbeats became shorter and more detached(Slim).

Video featuring Early ska Music
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Rudeboys were the main listeners to Ska music during the first wave of ska in Jamaica. Most of these youths were rebellious out of work and were reacting against the economic tensions found in Jamaica at the time. They dressed like the gangsters they saw in the movies being imported from the states. These youth were often law breakers and their lifestyle was reflected in the lyrics of the music .(Wildman)


 * Example of Rubeboys [[image:http://www.2-tone.de/2-tone/2tonbild/wailersjpg.JPG width="119" height="156"]]

Second Wave/ Two Tone
In the eighties, ska had a revival of popularity. This second wave started in England but quickly spread to other places around the globe. Some of the bands to come out of this revival were, The Specials, Madness, The Beat and The Selecter. Most of these bands and others put out some or at least one album on a record label called two-tone, a label created by the specials key-board player Jerry Dammers. The label was named after the two-toned suits that the originators of ska had worn and also reflected the multi-cultural bands that made up the label(SKA for the Uninitiated). The bands of this time were all very heavily influenced by those of the first wave both musically, in style and in attitude. These bands would often cover songs from the first wave, believing that if a song was good you might as well play it. Like the originators of ska this wave had their own fight, both the economic and class situation in England at the time and racial tensions (Rosenthal).

The Third wave of ska existed in many forms, from the underground to the mainstream. Bands such as Jump, Hepcat, Yebo, and Stubborn Allstars who keep ska close to it's Jamaican roots. Operation Ivy, Voodoo Glow Skulls mixed punk with the Jamaican roots creating a sub-genre called ska-core Regatta 69, Filibuster, Urban Blight brought back the rock steady sounds of the first wave. Punch the Clown, Undercover S.K.A kept up with the two tone style of the 1980’s. Ska also saw a jump into the main stream with bands like No Doubt, Sublime, Smash Mouth and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones having hits on the charts.( Rosenthal)

Ska Now
Altought ska has moved out of the mainstream. There is still an underground scene that exsits around the world. Here in Toronto bands like, The Cheap Suits , The Salads andKing Kong Girio have kept the sound alive.

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 * The Cheap Suits**

Skanking
Skanking is a type of dance that is common in the ska, hardcore and punk scenes. The dance, like the music, originated from Jamaican dance halls in the 1950’s. The dance was brought back and altered slightly during the Two-tone or second wave in the 70’s. The dance is still popular today and can be seen in practice at any ska show.( Rosenthal)

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**Well Known Ska Bands:**
Image found at: http://www.amnestyusa.org/musicforhumanrights/artists/images/artist_no_doubt.jpg Image found at: http://www.stroeja.com/images/Revew/Sublime/sublime_180rev.jpg Image found at: http://images.richmond.com/images/storyimage/10-29-02mighty_story.jpg
 * No Doubt:**
 * Sublime:**
 * Mighty Mighty Bosstones:**
 * The Specials**