A Jamaican Art Form Called Ska
Long before reggae became the signature sound of the island nation of Jamaica, there was ska. Jamaicans in the 1960s became enamored with the American Rhythm and Blues music that was becoming popular on radio broadcasts all over the world. In some areas, this R&B fascination led to the rise of Rock and Roll. In Jamaica, the sound fused with Carribbean and calypso beats and eventually became ska.
Characterized by heavy bass lines and fast-paced beats, ska took hold around the same time of Jamaica gaining independence from England in 1962.Additional information can be found at http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f/n/a/2011/08/17/international/i153420D77.DTL. Artists such as the Skatalites as well as Jimmy Cliff became popular with local crowds, often performing ska versions of classic R&B and rock songs.
Like many music forms, ska evolved. It slowed down and became the “Rocksteady” sounds, which later became reggae and took hold of the Jamaican music scene for decades. Ska itself has resurfaced in several evolutionary forms, most recently as “Third Wave” ska, which gained significant popularity in the 1990s in the United States.
California bands such as Sublime, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Reel Big Fish, and No Doubt each offered their own takes on the ska sound, some to great critical and commercial success.