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While many genres' true meanings are misinterpreted, the name Ska is the most misunderstood in music history. Ska has an etymology that is debatable in terms of its true origins, but it nearly often boils down to a simple word used to describe the sound of the guitar or piano, which can be heard in various styles of Ska music. Ska music began in Jamaica in the late 1950s, in the poorest parts of downtown Kingston, with the creation of a distinctly Jamaican phenomenon that is still at the centre of music 50 years later, and it would go on to create the foundation for both Rocksteady and Reggae, but Ska came first. Mento, which gained popularity immediately before the arrival of ska in the 1940s, featured acoustic instruments and songs about social themes such as poverty. Calypso is a genre of music that originated on the islands of Trinidad and Tobago and incorporates tropical melodies and hilarious lyrics about poverty and social issues. It's sometimes confused with mento music, but they're not the same thing. At its core the Ska sound is basically a combination of Caribbean Mento music, Calypso, Jazz and R&B. Ska combines aspects of both of these separate music styles to produce its characteristic sound, which includes trumpet, trombone, saxophone, guitar, bass, keyboard, and snare drums.

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The majority of ska music is performed in 4/4 time, and a key component of nailing the ska groove is playing on the off-beats, which produces the genre's signature bounce. With a rapid, almost percussive guitar pluck, this rhythm emphasizes beats 2 and 4 in 4/4 time. An eighth-note skank rhythm can be utilized for a quicker groove, such those frequently heard in high-energy genres like ska punk. The rhythm could be read as follows: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and. the first wave's voice section Ska from Jamaica was very varied. First wave ska is heavily influenced by R&B, with musicians like Derrick Morgan using soulful, melodic delivery. Vocals were utilised relatively sparingly by some bands, such the Skatalites. Others used yells, chants, interjections, and rhyming in their singing, a technique known as "toasting" (one of the antecedents of rap). A common horn section for ska music comprises of trumpets, trombones, and alto saxophones. This brass part can strike and accent the offbeats, directly accompany the guitar and vocals, or offer a lovely countermelody. The horns were largely responsible for the melody in first wave Jamaican ska, freestyling over the steady rhythm and the guitar upstrokes. Another distinguishing feature of ska music is the walking bassline, which is most frequently heard in first-wave Jamaican ska, which used either the bass guitar or double bass in the rhythm section. The quick tempo and strong intensity of ska tunes were perfectly supported by these step-wise basslines. In initial wave Shakers and tambourines were frequently utilised alongside drum kits in Jamaican ska, which maintained faithful to its cultural roots by fusing traditional and contemporary instruments. The traditional ska rhythm employs a full drum set and places the bass drum on beats 2 and 4 to highlight the guitar upstroke. On beats two and four, cross-stick (a drumming technique in which the drumstick is struck against the rim of the snare drum) is used to further support the backbeat. Meanwhile, on beat 4, the snare drum head is struck, and the hi-hat is played with eighth notes to complete the beat. First wave ska includes piano and organ instrumentation, which would either bubble along with the guitar or follow the bassline. (Musical U Team, 2017)

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Skanking developed through time to better fit the tempo and style of later revivals of ska. It first appeared in Jamaican dance halls in the 1950s. For instance, the dance style required for ska punk is faster and a little more aggressive than traditional skanking. Here's a fast tutorial: bend your arms at the elbows, punch the air with one arm, and kick the other leg out as if you were sprinting. You can move forward if you alternate your arms and legs. (Learn About One of the Most Popular Forms of Music Called Ska, 2019)

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Most early Ska groups made their name at big sound system parties throughout Jamaica, and many claimed that it was the legendary Prince Buster who began to first use the Ska approach formally within music. On May 24, 1938, Prince Buster, Cecil Bustamente Campbell was born on Orange Street in Kingston, Jamaica. In honour of the Labour activist and first post-Independence Prime Minister William Alexander Clarke Bustamante, his family gave him the middle name. Campbell's family was devoted to Christianity, so in the early 1940s, he was transferred to live with his grandmother in rural Jamaica. There, he had his first musical experiences through church singing as well as private family prayer and hymn gatherings. Campbell moved back to Orange Street when he was a little boy, where he attended St. Anne's School and the Central Branch School. Following his introduction to Clement "Coxsone" Dodd, a businessman with a musical bent who ran one of Kingston's most well-known sound systems, Campbell became more actively involved in the operational aspect of running a sound system. In addition to working in the crucial job of selector, Campbell found himself performing a number of roles for Coxsone, including managing ticket receipts, providing security, finding and sourcing music, and handling security. When Campbell made the decision to launch his own sound system named "Voice of the People," he made effective use of the knowledge he had acquired about the financial and logistical sides of putting on a sound system dance. Campbell requested financial support from his family and Mr. Wong, the proprietor of a radio store; all parties agreed. As soon as it became operational, Campbell's "Voice of the People" sound system quickly became a rival to Coxsone and Reid's sound systems. In order to purchase music for his sound system, Campbell applied to the Farm Work Program (a guest worker programme for the US agriculture industry), but on the day of departure, admittance into the programme was denied. Campbell made the decision to create his own music because he knew he wouldn't be able to directly obtain albums from the US. He went to Baby Grand Club expert drummer Arkland "Drumbago" Parks, who had planned and made an original recording just for the Count Boysie sound system. Drumbago agreed to assist, and Campbell started rehearsing with the Baby Grand Club members right once, including the guitarist Jah Jerry, who was a part of Campbell's first recording session. Under the name Buster's Group, Jah Jerry, Drumbago, and Rico Rodriquez performed on Campbell's debut single, "Little Honey"/"Luke Lane Shuffle," which was released in 1961. The Folkes Brothers' song "Oh Carolina," which was published on his Wild Bells label the same year, was produced by him. Members of the Count Ossie Group, nyabinghi drummers from the Rastafarian colony of Camp David, located on the Wareika Hill above Kingston, contributed the drumming for the recording. "Oh Carolina" was given a licence to Melodisc, a UK label run by Emil Shalet, after it became popular in Jamaica. The song was released by Melodisc on their subsidiary label Blue Beat, which later came to be known for its 1960s ska albums aimed at the UK market.

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The Skatalites were established in 1964 in Kingston, Jamaica by notable studio musicians Tommy McCook, Rolando Alphonso, Lloyd Brevett, Lloyd Knibb, Don Drummond, Jah Jerry Haynes, Jackie Mittoo, Johnny Moore, and Jackie Opel. Ska is a genre of music that they jointly produced. The musicians had previously collaborated in several studios and supported groups including The Wailing Wailers (containing Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer), Toots and The Maytals, Jackie Opel, Doreen Shaffer, Ken Boothe, and Alton Ellis on numerous hit singles of the era. At the Hi-Hat club in Rae Town, Kingston, they gave their debut performance as the Skatalites as a group. Studio One Records issued the group's debut album that year. Additionally in 1964, Don Drummond's song "Man in the Street" made it into the UK Top 10. They produced hundreds of instrumental and vocal songs between May 1964 and August 1965, but in 1965 they had their final concert and broke up to focus on their respective careers. Most of the musicians got back together in 1983 and began performing live both in Jamaica and overseas. In the ensuing years, the music had become popular all around the world, but especially in England, where it had given rise to the 2Tone genre. Together, white and black musicians blended Ska rhythms with a punk attitude and powerful social commentary. Many bands, including The Specials, The Selecter, Madness, The English Beat, and Bad Manners, paid homage to The Skatalites' sound.The Skatalites had immigrated to the USA in the interim, and by 1986, they had begun performing there. They started their first US tour in 1989, travelling as Bunny Wailer's backing band. Eight studio albums have been published since then, including the two albums that were nominated for Grammy Awards: "Hi-Bop Ska: The 30th Anniversary Recording" and "Greetings from Skamania." They performed 25 shows nationwide on their first headline tour of the USA in 1990. They began travelling Europe and the rest of the world in 1991, and they haven't stopped since.(Keyo, n.d.)

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The tempos, instrumentation, and edge of 2 Tone music were faster than those of 1960s ska. The record company established by Jerry Dammers of The Specials, 2 Tone Records, inspired the name of the genre. The original versions of several well-known ska songs were revived as hits in the UK after being altered. (Ska Revival Music Genre Overview, n.d.) Young musicians in Coventry, England's West Midlands, who grew up listening to Jamaican music from the 1960s, are credited with creating the two-tone sound. They used elements of punk rock and new wave together with influences from ska, reggae, and rocksteady. The Specials, The Selecter, Madness, The Beat, Bad Manners, The Bodysnatchers, and Akrylykz are among the groups seen as belonging to the genre.  The phrase "two-tone" was created by keyboardist Jerry Dammers of The Specials. Dammers created the iconic Walt Jabsco logo (a man in a black suit, white shirt, black tie, pork pie hat, white socks, and black shoes) with the help of Horace Panter and graphic artist John "Teflon" Sims to represent the two-tone genre. The black-and-white check pattern was an addition to the design, which was based on an early album cover image of Peter Tosh. At some point, 2 Tone Records (in business from 1979 until 1985) signed the majority of the acts regarded as belonging to the two-tone genre. Stiff Records and Go Feet Records were two more record companies linked to the two-tone sound. Skinheads, Rudies, and mod revivalists were particular fans of the music. (2 Tone Records - Artists - The Specials, n.d.)

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Third-wave ska is the term used to describe American ska bands who drew more inspiration from two-tone ska than from classic ska music. The musical styles of these groups span from punk to almost classic ska. Third-wave ska experienced a significant rise in popularity in the early to mid-1990s, with numerous bands having multiple top-charting singles.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, as Two Tone Ska started to gain popularity in the UK, bands started to develop there as well as in other nations. The Toasters and Bim Skala Bim are two of the most well-known and established American ska bands. One of the key causes behind the third wave of ska was the two-tone band The Toasters. Ska-core and ska punk, a hybrid of punk rock or hardcore and ska, were made popular by groups like Operation Ivy and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. Hepcat, Skavoovie and the Epitones, and The Articles are three examples of third wave ska bands that mostly perform songs in the 1960s fashion. Robert "Bucket" Hingley, the lead singer of The Toasters, established Moon Ska Records in 1983, which grew to become the largest American ska record company. Dance Hall Crashers, The Allstonians, The Slackers, Skavoovie and the Epitones, The Scofflaws, The Pietasters, and Let's Go Bowling were just a few of the bands that appeared on it and went on to become mainstays of third wave ska. Although Moon Ska Records ended its official existence in 2000, Moon Ska Europe is still in business. Megalith Records, a brand-new ska record label, was established by Robert Hingley in 2003.The largest West coast third wave ska label in the United States was established in 1996 by Mike Park of the band Skankin' Pickle called Asian Man Records. Big D and the Kids Table, MU330, Less Than Jake, and Chris Murray, among other ska bands, received more exposure from Asian Man Records, which is largely responsible for their ascent to fame.Ska and ska punk bands had begun to emerge in the USA and many other nations by the early 1990s. After The Mighty Mighty Bosstones signed with Mercury Records in 1993 and had their first mainstream success, "Where'd You Go?" appear in the movie Clueless, the ska punk genre experienced a huge rise.  As a division of Epitaph Records, Brett Gurewitz and Tim Armstrong founded Hellcat Records in 1997. The label, which is best known for punk rock, also released third wave ska and ska-core acts such Dave Hillyard and the Rocksteady Seven, Choking Victim, Leftover Crack, The Slackers, and Voodoo Glow Skulls. Due in part to the swing revival's growth in popularity in the US by the late 1990s, the general public's interest in ska punk bands had diminished. Reel Big Fish, Suburban Legends, Streetlight Manifesto, The Aquabats!, Mad Caddies, and Less Than Jake were among the exceptions (most of which started moving away from the ska-influenced sound to become more pop punk-oriented).

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Ska music is remains a well-liked genre even now, despite three unique revivals that each came after an amazing surge in popularity. Numerous well-known ska-punk bands emerged during the third wave of the genre's growth. These groups not only produced fantastic music during their peak, but many of them are still active today. The dynamic ska music scene is being maintained by bands like Reel Big Fish, Rancid, and Mighty Mighty Bosstones.

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Anyone born before 1995 will attest to three gospel truths about their childhood - there will never be an accessory that tops the yo-yo, Game Boy Color was Nintendo's creative peak, and when it came to rock music, ska ruled the post-grunge era. For the younger players among us, when it comes to ska think baggy shorts, guitars, skateboards...and trombones. Of course, to categorise ska as predominantly "punk" is to do its origins a huge injustice, although the fusion of both did end up defining ska when it hit the mainstream.

While the genre may have had only the briefest of moments in the sun, it laid the foundation for an underground scene that has maintained a smaller but feverishly loyal cult following, one that the upcoming Ska Nation Outdoor Music Festival can attest to. In celebration of the inaugural multi-day event, here are six modern ska bands flying the flag for all things riffs and horns.

1. The Interrupters

These LA reggae/punk party-starters are at the forefront of the ska underground phenomenon, wracking up millions of views on their singles, scoring a deal with Epitaph Records and even appearing on the cover of Kerrang in 2019. Billy Kottage, formerly of Reel Big Fish, is even a touring member - what more of an endorsement do you need?

2. Popes of Chillitown

Only a band with this name could combine hip hop and reggae sensibilities with thunderous rock, punk and even metal tropes in such an effective way. Coming out of the UK, their adrenaline-fueled music has an edge afforded to them by the influence of UK dub - particularly noticeable with singer Matt Conner, who weaves in and out from pop punk to furious bars with alarming ease. As their album says: Work Hard, Play Hard, See You In The Graveyard.

3. Loin Groin

When it comes to Aussie ska, you can't go wrong with a band that throws together guitars, saxophone, keys and trumpet to pump out songs titled 'Chicken Parma' and 'VB Ska'. A band from Melbourne that sing about and embody everything that Melbournites love about their city ('My Team Plays on Friday'could only come from a sports-mad Vic), this is city charm with exceptional musicianship to top it off.

4. The Resignators

If you're after some of that Midnight Oilflavoured pub rock goodness, you could do a lot worse than this raucous seven-piece. While their sound is firmly rooted in a 'vintage' atmosphere that will make you croon for a Rose Tattoo or Baby Animals revival, there's something anthemic to their tunes that make them sound as exciting today as ever.

5. The Pirateska Rebellion

Pirate-themed heavy metal is one thing. Pirate-themed ska? Sure! Throw in some songs that are half-English, half-Spanish and fusing anything and everything from bluegrass, roots and all? Now we've really got something interesting on our hands. Describing themselves as an international reggae/ska/fusion act, this is the sound of Jack Sparrow in a Caribbean karaoke bar (it's probably happened, tbh). They embody the very spirit of ska, bringing together a myriad of styles in a huge cauldron, with dancing the only prerequisite. And boy, do the Pirateska Rebellion meet that brief.

6. The Bennies

It wouldn't be a proper list if we excluded Aussie favourites The Bennies (or as we described them during our last feature, a stunning hybrid of punk, reggae, and ska.) When we spoke to them recently, Snes gave us the heads up that The Bennies would be dropping something new before the year is out, but they'll also be hitting the Ska Nation fest this October. As they continue to build upon their legacy as one of Australia's favourite bands ever, there's no denying that The Bennies are a sign of not only ska but Australian music keeping alive and well.

Ska Nation Festival 2021

Friday, 29th October - Saturday, 30th October
Ti Tree Hotel, Warrion VIC
Tickets: Ska Nation

Friday line-up

Ska Vendors
Anty!
The Isolators (SA)
The Menage

Saturday line-up

The Bennies
Loin Groin
The Resignators
House Arrest (WA)
Loonee Tunes
The Pirateska Rebellion
Alla Spina (QLD)
OBJB
Kujo Kings
AADD
Special Guests TBA

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Ska's not dead: 6 modern ska bands flying the flag - Blunt Magazine

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Anyone born before 1995 will attest to three gospel truths about their childhood - there will never be an accessory that tops the yo-yo, Game Boy Color was Nintendo's creative peak, and when it came to rock music, ska ruled the post-grunge era.

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2 Tone Records - Artists - The Specials. (n.d.). 2 Tone Records. Retrieved June 24, 2022, from http://2-tone.info/artists/the_specials.html

Keyo, B. (n.d.). History - SKATALITES | The Foundation of Ska, Rock Steady & Reggae SKATALITES | The Foundation of Ska, Rock Steady & Reggae. Internet Archive Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 24, 2022, from https://web.archive.org/web/20131001041459/http://www.skatalites.com/history/

Learn About One of the Most Popular Forms of Music Called Ska. (2019, March 26). LiveAbout. https://www.liveabout.com/ska-music-basics-3552840

Musical U Team. (2017, October 30). An Introduction to Ska Music. Musical U. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/ska-music/

Ska Revival Music Genre Overview. (n.d.). AllMusic. Retrieved June 24, 2022, from https://www.allmusic.com/style/ska-revival-ma0000002403