The Waves of Ska Music

The Waves of Ska Music
Music is a way a generation can express itself. For a generation of suppressed and restless people living in Jamaica, this voice of music was known as ska. Since its original appearance, ska has resurfaced twice. Ska music has been presented to three generations of fans in three separate waves. This music may have started out humble, but it is now one of the most influential styles of music in the world.
Since the early 1940's, Jamaica has adopted and changed many forms of American musical styles. The people of Jamaica took a liking to rhythm and blues music, thanks to imported American records. Businessmen hooked up small sound systems consisting of radios, turntables, and speaker boxes. These portable sound systems provided entertainment at dance halls. Owners of different sound systems competed against each other at these halls. Two individuals, the deejay and the selector, ran the sound systems. The deejays job was to introduce each reco...