Ska takes over Jamaica

August 1962: Number 21 in our series of the 50 key events in the history of world and folk musicThe origin of ska is much contested. Did Jamaica's revolutionary, back-to-front beat originate from listening to rhythm'n'blues carried on AM radio signals all the way from Miami, or the New Orleans hits played with heavy bass by local DJs at 1950s soundsystems? Prince Buster claims it arrived when he instructed his studio band to "change gear". Others say "ska" refers to the music's offbeat guitar st...

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