ska, a musical style at the crossroads of influences

With its mythical Lolypop, released in 1964, Milie Small is considered one of the pioneers of ska. Even Bob Marley is part of the tradition with his title One cup of coffee in 1962. Rhytm’n’blues, jazz, punk rock… Music with a syncopated rhythm, the ska is the result of a mixture of influences gleaned over the years. After its appearance in Jamaica in the 1960s, it landed in Anglo-Saxon countries ten years later.

We find this influence even in the famous title A message to you Rudy, Specials, released in 1979: it is in fact a cover of a Jamaican hit. “They make the world dance, but you should never forget that the original versions are very interesting and authentic.“, recalls musicologist Bruno Blum.

Ska has its codes, whether in terms of style, represented by a black and white checkerboard, a symbol of mixing between blacks and whites, but also in leaping choreographies. In the texts, the accents of protest are reminiscent of those of punk rock. The ska itself would have given birth to reggae, once its tempo slowed down.