Traditional Ska

Traditional Ska is a style of music that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s. It is a combination of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. It is characterized by a walking bass line accented with rhythms on the off-beat. The tempo is usually up-tempo and the music is often accompanied by horns, guitars, and keyboards. The lyrics often focus on social and political issues. Traditional Ska is the foundation of the Ska, Rocksteady, and Reggae genres.