Ska

music genre · Jamaica · rhythm and blues · dance

Born in Jamaica. Ska started in Jamaica in the late 1950s when musicians took American jazz and rhythm and blues and mixed it with Caribbean mento music to create something totally new.

Special bass beat. Ska has a unique walking bass line with the rhythm hitting on the off beat, which makes it sound bouncy and energetic, perfect for dancing.

Sound systems rule. Jamaican musicians like Stranger Cole, Prince Buster, and Coxsone Dodd created sound systems to play American songs, then started recording their own ska music.

Jamaica's top style. In the early 1960s, ska was the most popular music genre in Jamaica and people danced to it everywhere.

Spread worldwide. Ska became popular with British mods and many skinheads in Europe, and it later led to new music styles like rocksteady and reggae.