![]() Racial integration and equality were also huge topics ska music broached in the first and second waves, which we will touch on momentarily. Social Justice AnthemsĪlthough modern-day ska has lyrical topics that run the gamut from love songs to protest songs, traditional ska songs focused on social justice. Made up of trumpets, alto saxophones, and trombones, they are largely responsible for providing instrumental riffs between vocals, so there is an even trade between melody from the singer and melody from the horns. The horn section in ska bands is heavily featured. This style of playing is even called the ska upstroke, and it is an extremely percussive style of playing. This method is derived from Jamaican mento and Caribbean calypso music, and doing so creates the bouncy rhythm that ska music is known for. Ska guitarists contribute by playing on the off-beats. It has a fast pace to it, due to its roots as a dance genre. ![]() Ska songs are almost always written in 4/4 time, with an emphasis on beats two and four (the backbeat). Ska music has an incredibly specific sound, with several key elements contributing. Ska takes elements of both of these distinct music styles, combining instruments like the trumpet, trombone, saxophone, guitar, bass, piano, and snare drums to create its signature sound. ![]() It is often confused with mento music however, the two are very different. ![]() Mento, which came to prominence just before the emergence of ska in the 1940s, featured acoustic instruments and songs that focused on social issues like poverty.Ĭalypso comes from the islands of Trinidad and Tobago and features tropical sounds and lyrics about poverty and social issues, all with a humorous slant. This unique music style was born from a wide range of influences, including American jazz and rhythm and blues, specifically New Orleans R&B, Caribbean folk music, calypso, and traditional Jamaican dance music called Mento. Ska is best known as an urban-pop style of music that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and has evolved to have off-shoots in reggae, rocksteady, and punk. So, what exactly is ska music? A good ska music definition would describe it as a complex style of music with a rich history and a plethora of cultural influences. ![]()
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