Ska - an Old Jamaican Form of Music

Ska is an old Jamaican form of music that blossomed when Jamaica won its independence from England in 1962. At this time, an
and attend the university of wisconsin- 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.
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