I'm currently working on a book about the history of Ska culture and its impact today. Konekshuns is proud to become another Web outlet for regular info about Ska music and the culture that refuses to disappear.
We also will provide links to other Ska sites on the Web. konekshuns welcome's input from all Ska lovers.

Ska music is the first music that I remember being introduced to by my mother when my family first moved to Canada from Jamaica in 1964. Ska and Reggae music are important links for many Jamaican-Canadians to Black and Caribbean identity. For instance, at an early age I understood that Ska music, although it wasn't taught in Canadian schools, was something to be proud of as part of Jamaican heritage. Ska music was declared Jamaica's National Sound by the government when Jamaica received her independence from Britain's colonial empire in 1962. But Ska music actually originated in Jamaica in the 1950's. Ska contains several key elements:

1. Mento, a Jamaican calypso from the 1800's
2. Jonkanoo, a precursor of Mento
3. Early Rastafarian drumming, called Burru drumming
   Early Plantation owners would often ban the use of the drum by Africans in the Caribbean and the US because Africans used drums as a form of communication. Burru drumming was the only African drumming style allowed on the Jamaican plantations as used to help African slaves keep time while working.
4. Early African-American music,
   1940's Jazz and 1950's Rhythm and Blues (R&B)

Caribbean peoples, in particular Jamaicans, have had a long relationship with African-Americans since the early days of slavery in the Americas.
In the early 1900's Jamaican minstrels would travel through the Southern United States performing their own blues styles for local audiences. Most history books don't contain this information but there is documentation in early newspapers and in the works of current publications like the Jamaica Journal that confirms this.
The Jamaican/African-American connection has grown overtime and today has resulted in world-wide popularity of artists like Shabba Ranks, Bob Marley and others through American and European recording distribution connections.

After the Second World War, R&B was immensely popular everywhere including Jamaican house parties and concert halls. The Jamaican sound system developed to respond to local Jamaican audiences wanting R&B music.
The two first well-known sound system operators were Tom, The Great Sebastien and Duke Reid The Trojan who played at parties in the early 1950's. Then there was Clement Coxsone Dodd and his Downbeat with DJ Winston Count Matchouki.
Matchouki is one of the first documented Jamaican DJ's to toast (or talk) over records using the rhythm the way that African-American Radio DJ's were already doing. The toasting allowed early DJ's, who only had one turntable at first, to keep the crowd moving with humorous, insightful comments while changing records.

From the Sound Systems evolved the first Jamaican recording studios as they imported equipment to make Jamaican R&B records for local audiences.
Names of well-known singers included Owen Gray, Jackie Edwards Lascelles Perkins, etc. By 1962, the sound that is known as Ska had developed as a unique rhythmic Jamaican sound, with own dances like the Ska, the Shuffle, and the Split. Jamaican labels included Kong, Island, Treasure Island, Studio One, etc.
Jamaican recording studios were important as they contributed to strengthening Jamaica's economy. But most of best quality records were recorded on the British Melodisc (Blue Beat) Label due to availability of better equipment. Blue Beat came to mean Ska. The Ska period is generally recognised as lasting until 1967.

Early Ska music:

1. Baba Brooks - Teenage Ska (1965)
2. Housewife's Choice - Derrick and Patsy (1962)
   • A big hit with youth audiences in London, England in the Mod Movement (like dance scene in clubs lots of attention to style, clothing)
     
   • One of the first innovative Ska records and still classic James Bond - Roland Alphonso (1966)
     
3. Six and Seven Books of Moses - The Maytals as the Vikings (1963)
4. Love me Baby - Laurel Aitken
   • Born in Cuba 1928
   • Still performing to sold out audiences in Britain, Europe and Japan
   • First became a star in Jamaica in 1960 with a bluesy boogie hit called Little Sheila recorded for Chris Blackwell's Starlight label (Chris Blackwell founder of Island Records who's first star with that English based label was Ska singer Millie Small/My Boy Lollipop)
5. Four Corners - The Skatalites
   • Formed 1963 and continued until 1965; renowned for their instrumental prowess
   • Were top of the Jamaican Ska musicians, strong Jazz training
   • Original line-up included legends like: Don Drummond (trombone), Tommy McCook and Roland Alphonso (tenor sax), Johnny 'Dizzy' Moore (trumpet), Lester Sterling (alto sax), Jackie Mittoo (piano), Jah Jerry (guitar), Lloyd Brevett (upright bass), Lloyd Nibbs (drums).
   • Mittoo and Alphonso, both inspirations for many reggae musicians and other Jamaican performers today, left band to form Soul Brothers working for Coxsone Dodd's Studio One
   • McCook worked mainly for Duke Reid's Trojan Records
   • Drummond developed his own group called the Don Drummond All-Stars/ He died in 1969
   • Jackie Mittoo died only a few years ago in Toronto
   • Others who were involved with the Skatalites live in the US, Jamaica, Britain and Canada - today the Skatalites with singer Lord Tanamo are popular in Britain, Europe and Japan
6. Judge Dread - Prince Buster (actually Rocksteady)
   • Known to many as the King of Ska
   • Popular more than any other artist during the 60's in Caribbean and in Europe
   • Still popular in England and Europe and Japan/living in England-name is Buster Campbell after politician Bustamante founder of the Jamaican Labour Party
   • He himself was a 'rude boy' and would have become a professional fighter if not for his luck with music
   • Lyrics often highly political and got him in lots of 'hot water' with officials
   • Recorded for Blue Beat label and then on his own

Current Ska Music Scene:
Today Ska rhythm is often used in other forms of Pop music. Here are a few examples:

1. Longsy D's This is Ska (Skacid Mix) recorded in England, distributed by BCM Records (late 1980's early 1990's
   • one example of current use of the Ska rhythm, in this case the Ska/House connection, familiar to many Dance music enthusiasts
2. Other Ska-influenced bands include mainly interracial or primarily white groups like the English Beat from the 1970's/80's, the Selector, Madness etc. all out of England;
   Canada has several all white groups including the Hopping Penguins, etc; Fishbone started as a contemporary Ska-Rock-Jazz group in the 1980's (one of the few young Black pop groups that regularly claim Ska-influence) from the US.

Where to find early Ska music in Toronto?

1. Local community record stores like
2. Other independent record shops like Kop's Collectibles, Queen St W, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
3. Mail order Catalogues listed in Magazines like the Beat and Reggae Report, which
4. Large chains like Sam's, HMV, etc may carry compilations and more contemporary Ska-influenced groups.

Some albums to start with
(this list is being updated as we speak):

1. Skatalites (Ska Authentic and Best of the Skatalites - Studio One)
2. Various Compilations (Intensified and More Intensified - Island)