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Ska Research Papers

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Finding the Upbeat:
An Investigation into Ska Music and Its Role in the Expression of Identity
What is Ska music? Even after being around for over 50 years, this is still a question heard often. Ska is bouncy, fun, inspiring, exhilarating, adrenaline-charged, exotic, familiar, cool, unique, uplifting, simple, complicated, stirring music. It hits your ears and shoots straight to your feet to get them moving. It has been described as faster Reggae mixed with Punk with horns, but the distinguishing factor is the emphasis on the upbeat, or afterbeat. Ska music, which came in three distinct periods of popularity or “waves”, provided a musical outlet for disenfranchised, frustrated youth, facilitated the codification of their individual identities, and fostered a community geared toward coping with hardships through unity and the quest for liberation. I must explore …show more content…

I think it would be best to explain the 3 different waves and how each wave affected the communities associated with the music. What is Ska (the origin and the type commonly called the first wave)? Often mistakenly identified as an offshoot of Reggae, Ska is actually Reggae’s predecessor. Ska developed steadily from a combination of Jamaican indigenous folk-music called Mento, Burru (sometimes called Burra or Buru) African percussion, and the AM radio waves picked up from Memphis, Nashville, and New Orleans playing American Rhythm and Blues (Kauppila, 2006, p.2). How did the music provide outlets for the youth of Jamaica? The people in communities without the financial means to go to concerts would create mobile ‘sound systems’ and set-up impromptu, open-air dance

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764 Words | 4 Pages

The entertainment industry encompasses the composition, production, and marketing of music. The music industry has emerged as a dominant business and has maintained popularity by means of adapting alongside social movements, and representing different major classes of society. Music has been used by entertainers as a method of expression, and therefore often sheds light on prominent issues by illustrating relatable stories, or reactions to common problems. For example, The Drums, a modern Indie musical group, has composed the lyrics to the hit song “Money” to include imagery and repetition that work to expose the everyday struggle that impoverished Americans undergo.

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1555 Words | 7 Pages

the ability to transmit ideas worldwide at a buttons touch via modern media...” (Huang, Belinda) With access to the internet to spread new forms of music combined with the lack of consistently applied religious beliefs society today is bombarded with a variety of music that would not have been allowed

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711 Words | 3 Pages

At the center of the music-culture mode, music projects an Affective Experience, or the emotional impact the music has on one. All of the songs featured within The Performing Arts Department’s concert, provided a large amount of affective experience throughout the entire concert. Right from song one, not only I but the majority of the audience had found themselves taping their fingers to the beat of the orchestra, or nodding their heads simultaneously with the music being performed. Every song captured this quality in it’s audience in someway or another, while I found

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828 Words | 4 Pages

In today’s society much of the music that we consume and listen to goes through a complex process that involves recording, production, and distribution. A vast majority of the music that we listen to is also a direct result of what we are exposed to through the radio and media, and for the most part the artists that take up space within our music apps are people that we never met, or know personally for that matter. However, music has not always been like this. In fact, recording, producing and distributing music is a fairly recent event in time. In the past, music or better yet folk music, was an art that was created and sung/produced by individuals within a community.

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1073 Words | 5 Pages

A sense of elitism has arisen within musical genes, stemming from rock, punk, folk, etc. believing that they are valid and true forms of music, but that due to the way disco is produced, it fails to be a genre. However, disco is much more than a genre- it is a whole unique culture that supports many marginalized identities. As Dyer states, ‘disco is also kinds of dancing, club, fashion, film, etc. – in a word, a certain sensibility’ (Dyer 20).

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1512 Words | 7 Pages

Moreover, rock music emphasizes personal independence and freedom. People express their true feelings through rock music. At the same time, rock music encourages people to pursue their dreams. From generation to generation, young people interpret the connotation of rock in their own way. We listen to rock with resistance, rebellion, radical, destruction to define rock, and ignore the in-depth thinking of the theme behind the straight and bold lyrics.

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683 Words | 3 Pages

In this section I will be writing an essay reflecting on two audio-visual case studies, Madcap and Cowbridge Youth Centre. From looking at these case studies I will be detailing important information including reflection and analysis on many key points. These key points are the purpose of the work, the relationships formed, why young people attend and what they do whilst also addressing any issues. To begin with I will be looking at case study one, Madcap, a voluntary project in Milton Keynes that has two purposes to its work. Purpose one is mad music, a voluntary way for young musicians in the area to create original music to be performed or presented to a wider audience.

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579 Words | 3 Pages

With the track down the swelling, let’s eat without reputation”. Some Reggaeton performers draw from and reproduce sexist narratives and fantasies through which women are faceless fragmented bodies whose main purpose is to serve as sexual objects for men (Negron-Muntaner,

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844 Words | 4 Pages

As with any genre of music, truly great reggae albums transcends its place in the musical landscape and makes the listener feel something. Reggae came out of Jamaica’s political climate and Rastafari religion in the 1960s and progressed into popularity in the early 1970s, branching off into numerous subgenres. Here are ten of the top reggae albums of all time, which have taken from the genre’s rich history and influenced artists and fans for decades. Number Ten: ‘Ska Boo-Da-Ba’ by The Skatalites Known for their work with Justin Yap on Ska Boo-Da-Ba, the band’s second album has become one of their most sought-after. They were one of the first bands to popularize the ska sound, backed up by mostly horns and little vocal.

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559 Words | 3 Pages

When Manchester Orchestra released COPE this past April, they wanted to create a gritty, completely in-your-face rock album. And that they did. However, what makes Manchester Orchestra incredibly unique is their ability to create heart-wrenching soft pieces (i.e. “I Can Feel A Hot One”) as well as rougher, head-bangers (i.e. “Shake It Out”). Both sides of them are essential and true to their sound. HOPE is exactly what needed to happen in order to set a balance in Manchester Orchestra’s realm.

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475 Words | 2 Pages

In today’s world, with so many wonderful types and genres of music to experience, it’s difficult to establish a preferred genre. But sometimes, music penetrates past the ears and mind, into the very essence of one’s soul. In the early 1990’s, Seattle, Washington gave birth to a new kind of music. Perhaps first conceived in a garage, grunge music is a grandson of Rock and Roll and the father of post-grunge. It is a style of music that incorporates elements from other styles of music, such as punk and metal, but has a more radio friendly format than its predecessors.

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918 Words | 4 Pages

The speed and the use of complex bass lines is what makes reggae different from rock steady. Reggae music tends to have lyrics that are consistent in theme with their predecessor, rocksteady, along with songs that tend to do with love. In the 1970’s reggae

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1850 Words | 8 Pages

There is still repetition in the style of music that is being produced, but now, the music strongly appeals towards racism and peace. The advertisement of Ska and it’s musical mark on the world is now at the click of a button. There are now movements dedicated to “Ska Against Racism”. In the article, “In Music We Trust”, it talks about a tour that is now being devised to fight against racism using Ska to bring people together.

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254 Words | 2 Pages

Steven Feld responds to two questions in his article, “Sound Structure as Social Structure”: what are the representations or features of small-scale and egalitarian societies through organized sound? And, what are the major ways that these same features reveal themselves in social organization and ideology if soundmakers and soundmaking?” Within these questions there are aspects to consider, such as ethnomusicological and sociomusical questions. Ethnomusicological questions tend to be more about the “cultural study of the shared meanings of musical sounds.” Whereas sociomusical questions deal more from the viewpoint of the social structure and organization of musical sounds (Feld 1984, p. 383).

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1587 Words | 7 Pages

Skinheads gained much inspiration from reggae music, which Combo admits to with Milky when he says ‘it was people like your uncle that introduced that stuff to me’. The music scene was changing fast which also led to the decline of skinheads. Reggae’s influence on the subculture is seen more when Combo talks about how the music ‘resonated’ with original skinheads. We can see the struggle of skinheads to keep old traditions and culture alive.

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