The streets of Jamaica in 1962 were never quiet. Dogs barking, people laughing, and celebrating their newfound independence from Britain, but the most defining factor of this time period was the giant sound systems rocking the streets with groovy bass lines, booming drums, and floaty melodies. This presiding genre of the time period that I described above is called ska music.
What is Ska?
Ska is much more than just a genre of music, as it provided a platform for impoverished and suppressed Jamaicans to express themselves. It evolved with the generations on the islands, growing with the island itself into new genres, constantly taking new inspirations to its rhythms. Specifically, ska music and its counterparts, reggae, and rocksteady, all are significant in the development of the island’s identity. Being mostly defined by its extremely high energy performances and punk rock energy, the music itself has three main components, according to Masterclass.com, with the first being is the instruments. Ska is very drum and bass oriented while maintaining a rock and roll sound with brass, vocals, and a lead guitar. The second category is having brass and guitar solos, trading off with the vocalists, containing recognizable riffs that are unique for each song. The third is the four/four time signatures with an accent note on the second beat, called a ‘skank’, being a short and quick attack on a note that persists through most of the song with a intricate bass line. This blog post will outline how the genres assist in the cultural advancement while delving into the rich history of the music itself, explaining how the music evolved to where it is today in three segments; Ska into Reggae
Ska VS Reggae:
A common misconception made by most people when they think about ska is categorizing it with as reggae. This, however, is not the case. Ska music became popular in the early 1960s when reggae, a variation of ska arose a few years later. When ska was made, it was a time where Jamaica could finally express itself after breaking free from their British colonial rulers, taking inspiration from many different genres and current popular musical trends, like 1950s Caribbean and Jamaican songs, Elvis, The Drifters, Sam Cooke, as well as respective bands throughout the late 1900s. Reggae, being similar in the instrumentation minus the brass, is a slowed down version of Ska. Taking more inspiration from African roots, this rhythmic music took much less inspiration from American and British pop culture as ska did, defining a more definitive genre. This type of music provided a platform for these concerns to be conveyed to their audiences, especially seen in the first defined wave of ska music. As this genre gained popularity among the young as well as the old in its inclusive sound, sub genres began forming, as Jamaica finally began forming its own identity in the world, prompting the creation of reggae and the rise of the Rastafarian movements.
Reggae and Rastafarians
“‘Reggae must be lived, not played. It is a lifebeat everytime.’ Peter Tosh” (mentalitch.com). Reggae is far more complex than most people see on the surface, giving a sense of character to the islanders and a platform to express social injustice in Jamaica. The Rastafarian belief had been on the island ever since the 1930s, being a Afrocentric religion that encouraged free-inhabitance of earth and the overcoming of ‘Babylonian’ restraints, being a symbol for all corruption and corporations in the world. This religion pushes its followers to freely traverse the world past boarders and private properties, the ceremonial use of marijuana, as well as the respect for fellow man, believing there is a bit of ‘Jah'(God) in each person.
War on Rastafarian
In 1963, a war was waged against all Rastafarians by their newly born government, being hunted down by the government, imprisoned, and having their dreads cut off per the orders of white Prime Minister Alexander Bustamante following the death of detective in a fire lit at a gas station at Coral Gardens. This event the public afraid of Rastas, despite the police being the aggressors during the incident. There were laws made to target Rastafarians, such as the outlawing of marijuana, tighter vagrancy laws. Police often shot at Rastas unprompted, beating them, as well as leaving them for dead. In 1972, Jamaica began a seven year experiment with socialism under the People’s National Party (PNP), causing even more violence and economic instability after being labeled as a target by the CIA. This unrest could be seen explicitly after an assassination attempt on Bob Marley and Rita Marley in 1976 during Smile Jamaica music festival for the festivals affiliation with the PNP. Nobody was killed, and Bob Marley’s band, the Wailers even continued to play the show, showing the resilience of Reggae. The Reggae music in this time period reflected the struggles in this time period, such as the popular ‘Rivers of Babylon’ by the Melodians, outlining a symbolic cry for help against the institutionalizing and oppressing government they were facing while comparing their situation to that of the First Testament in the Bible. In 1980, the socialist leader left office, being replaced by a democratic leader, Edward Seaga, prompting a period of economic growth. This growth was formed because of Reggae music, bringing in copious amounts of profit through tourism and the recognition and the recognition of the Rastafarian movement after the popularization in the US and Britain, as people began to show sympathy for what they were enduring in Jamaica.
Overcoming Supression: Reggae is the Voice of the Island
Reggae music gained
Reggae and Ska: Overcoming Babylon
The streets of Jamaica in 1962 were never quiet. Dogs barking, people laughing, and celebrating their newfound independence from Britain, but the most defining factor of this time period was the giant sound systems rocking the streets with groovy bass lines, booming drums, and floaty melodies. This presiding genre of the time period that I described above is called ska music.
What is Ska?
Ska is much more than just a genre of music, as it provided a platform for impoverished and suppressed Jamaicans to express themselves. It evolved with the generations on the islands, growing with the island itself into new genres, constantly taking new inspirations to its rhythms. Specifically, ska music and its counterparts, reggae, and rocksteady, all are significant in the development of the island’s identity. Being mostly defined by its extremely high energy performances and punk rock energy, the music itself has three main components, according to Masterclass.com, with the first being is the instruments. Ska is very drum and bass oriented while maintaining a rock and roll sound with brass, vocals, and a lead guitar. The second category is having brass and guitar solos, trading off with the vocalists, containing recognizable riffs that are unique for each song. The third is the four/four time signatures with an accent note on the second beat, called a ‘skank’, being a short and quick attack on a note that persists through most of the song with a intricate bass line. This blog post will outline how the genres assist in the cultural advancement while delving into the rich history of the music itself, explaining how the music evolved to where it is today in three segments; Ska into Reggae
Ska VS Reggae:
A common misconception made by most people when they think about ska is categorizing it with as reggae. This, however, is not the case. Ska music became popular in the early 1960s when reggae, a variation of ska arose a few years later. When ska was made, it was a time where Jamaica could finally express itself after breaking free from their British colonial rulers, taking inspiration from many different genres and current popular musical trends, like 1950s Caribbean and Jamaican songs, Elvis, The Drifters, Sam Cooke, as well as respective bands throughout the late 1900s. Reggae, being similar in the instrumentation minus the brass, is a slowed down version of Ska. Taking more inspiration from African roots, this rhythmic music took much less inspiration from American and British pop culture as ska did, defining a more definitive genre. This type of music provided a platform for these concerns to be conveyed to their audiences, especially seen in the first defined wave of ska music. As this genre gained popularity among the young as well as the old in its inclusive sound, sub genres began forming, as Jamaica finally began forming its own identity in the world, prompting the creation of reggae and the rise of the Rastafarian movements.
Reggae and Rastafarians
“‘Reggae must be lived, not played. It is a lifebeat everytime.’ Peter Tosh” (mentalitch.com). Reggae is far more complex than most people see on the surface, being an angry but positive expression against poverty and injustice while giving a sense of character to the islanders. The word originated from the slang term, ‘rege rege’, meaning ragged clothing, appearing first in a song by the Maytals called ‘Do the Reggay’. The Rastafarian beliefs had been on the island before Reggae, appearing in the 1930s, being a Afrocentric religion that encouraged free-inhabitance of earth and the overcoming of ‘Babylonian’ restraints, being a symbol for all corruption and corporations in the world. This religion pushes its followers to freely traverse the world past boarders and private properties, the ceremonial use of marijuana, as well as the respect for fellow man, believing there is a bit of ‘Jah'(God) in each person.
War on Rastafarian
In 1963, a war was waged against all Rastafarians by their newly born government, being hunted down by the government, imprisoned, and having their dreads cut off per the orders of white Prime Minister Alexander Bustamante following the death of detective in a fire lit at a gas station at Coral Gardens. This event the public afraid of Rastas, despite the police being the aggressors during the incident. There were laws made to target Rastafarians, such as the outlawing of marijuana, tighter vagrancy laws. Police often shot at Rastas unprompted, beating them, as well as leaving them for dead. In 1972, Jamaica began a seven year experiment with socialism under the People’s National Party (PNP), causing even more violence and economic instability after being labeled as a target by the CIA. This unrest could be seen explicitly after an assassination attempt on Bob Marley and Rita Marley in 1976 during Smile Jamaica music festival for the festivals affiliation with the PNP. Nobody was killed, and Bob Marley’s band, the Wailers even continued to play the show, portraying the resilient spirit of Reggae. The Reggae music in this time period reflected specific struggles in this time period, such as the popular ‘Rivers of Babylon’ by the Melodians, outlining a symbolic cry for help against the institutionalizing and oppressing government they were facing while comparing their situation to that of the First Testament in the Bible. In 1980, the socialist leader left office, being replaced by a democratic leader, Edward Seaga, prompting a period of economic growth. This growth was formed because of Reggae music, bringing in copious amounts of profit through tourism and the recognition and the recognition of the Rastafarian movement after the popularization in the US and Britain, as people began to show sympathy for what they were enduring in Jamaica.
Overcoming Suppression: Reggae is the Voice of the Island
Reggae music gaining support was one of the best things that could happen to the country of Jamaica, allowing the impoverished and suffering to have their voices heard over the dominantly white aristocratic government. The positive energy created by reggae while pushing for social change caught the attention of the middle class Jamaicans and foreigner’s, lightening the harsh feelings against the Rastafarians, allowing growth in communities and acceptance. With the improvement of the economy, it brought the stage known as ‘Roots Reggae’ to a close, opening up new ska and reggae alike in the second wave.
Two Toned: Second Wave of Ska
The two toned movement is a display of the effect of Reggae music on society, creating multiracial bands after a large late 1970s immigration wave of Jamaicans to the UK. The wave began in 1981 with the rise of the British Two Toned Record Label. different races playing the same music together on the same stage was a huge deal for British and American society, the main audience for this wave, integrated the brass and guitars from the original ska waves with an even higher increased tempo, mainly singing songs with Jamaican politics and slang, racial integration, and opposition to the conservative Margaret Thatcher led UK government. Surprisingly, the Skin Heads were also into this wave of ska, listening to two toned Ska music and early Reggae because of the punk rock energy and catchy melodies that it produces. this genre had attracted young rebellious fans, called ‘Rude Boys’, as the rude boys were popular back in Jamaica in the 1960s, dressing in flashy dress clothing and having the attitudes of 1920s American Pseudo-Gangsters. They became the image of this time period of ska. This wave prompted the creation of influential bands ‘The Specials’, ‘Bad Manners, and ‘English Beat’.
The 1990s: Third Wave Ska
The third wave of ska, often called ‘Ska Punk’ was largely based out of the US from bands influenced by early Reggae and Ska bands. These bands take a lot of inspiration from early Reggae and Ska, using Jamaican slang and rhythms while incorporating distorted guitars and uplifting rhythms. Bands off the label Skunk Records like Sublime, Slightly Stoopid, the Ziggens, or others like Reel Big Fish, The Planet Smashers, Less than Jake, Band, Goldfinger, and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones are all third wave ska bands. There is an argument that some of these bands can be seen as culturally appropriating the original movements with the use of slang and dawning Rastafarian principles, as the majority of these bands are from California, never experiencing or being involved with Jamaican culture outside of listening to Reggae music. However, the band members are usually self aware, only appreciating the sounds by creating modern renditions of Reggae music. This can be seen how the band Sublime frequently made songs inspired by 1970s and 60s Reggae, such as their use of ’54-46 was my number’ by the Toots and the Maytals in a more modern sounding Ska song, also called ‘5446 Was my Number’.
Final Thoughts
The island of Jamaica would not be the same as it is today if not for Reggae Music and all of its respective artists, as the social and economic changes prompted by its creation was detrimental for the island to move out of the state of severe poverty it was in. Ska and Reggae have forever moved so many with their unique rhythms and allowing people to voice their hardships first hand. Although roots Reggae and Ska have had many issues resolved since they have been originally made, struggles still exist today, and songs are still being made to reflect new hardships, like heavy drug use, or relationship struggles. Just remember,
NOTE: Audience members for this article are those that are passionate about the histories of music, people who like to listen to Reggae and Ska, as well as people that like stories about overcoming oppressions and hardships.