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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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