Ska Music
Music is one medium through which a generation can express itself. For a generation of suppressed, restless, working-class youths living in early 1960's Jamaica, this voice was a genre of music known as ska. Since its original appearance, ska has resurfaced twice. Ska music has been presented to three generations of fans in three separate "waves." Its humble beginnings lead to one of the most influential styles of music present in the world. By 1962, Jamaica was no longer under British rule. Jamaican culture and music began to reflect the new found optimism in its independence. Since the early 1940's, Jamaica had adopted and adapted many forms of American musical styles. The predominantly black inhabitants of Jamaica took a liking to rhythm and blues music , and with imported American records, "enterprising businessmen attempted to string up small sound systems consisting of radio, turntable, and independent speaker boxes". These portable sound systems provided entertainment at dance halls. Owners of different sound systems competed against each other at the halls. The sound systems were run by two individuals, the deejay and the selector, dressed in "spangled waistcoats, black leather Dracula capes, imi
tation ermine robes, Lone Ranger masks, and rhinestone-studded crowns" . One of the messages of 2 tone ska was the promotion of racial harmony. The Wailers (including Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Livingston), Desmond Dekker, the Maytals, and Laurel Aitken were the most popular performers at the time. The deejay job was to introduce each record and to enhance the rhythm of the music! by chanting along with the record. The sound has transformed much since its birth. After ska had been developed in Jamaica, it was "exported" by artists traveling to Great Britain. The use of black and white in the drawing was supposed to symbolize the peaceful coexistence of different races. Musicians picked up on the elements of the rhythm and blues and combined it with traditional Jamaican mento music. Bands such as the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Operation Ivy, and Agent 86 have successfully revived the entire ska scene. The afterbeat, strummed by a rhythm guitar or played on the piano . Skilled musicians began to team up. The combination is much faster than 2 tone, and sounds very different from the original Jamaican brand of ska. Ska originated in a small poor country, yet it went on to spread throughout the world.
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