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Global Beats: Ska

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Oreskaband

BBC World Service - Global Beats, Ska

David Amanor talks to ska bands from as far afield as Japan, Australia and Chile.

David Amanor, once a member of UK ska outfit The Selecter, talks to ska bands from as far afield as Japan, Australia and Chile.

Ska is one of the most infectious musical genres around. It is full of energy and is guaranteed to lift the spirits.  Originating in 1950s Jamaica, in the run up to the country’s independence, its celebratory vibe and trademark back-beat gives it a real feel-good factor. The genre has had several revivals over the years such as the 2-Tone movement in the UK during the late 1970s and what is known as the Third Wave in the USA in the 1990s. So who is playing Ska now? 

David Amanor is known to many World Service listeners as the presenter of the BBC program Fifth Floor. But what most people do not know is that he used to play guitar for 2-Tone Ska band The Selecter, which experienced international success in the 1970s and 1980s, along with bands like The Specials, The Beat and Madness. He knows a thing or two about Ska and discovers it is still very much alive and well in places you might not expect. 

We hear from an all-female Ska band from Japan, who met playing in their high-school brass band. The Melbourne Ska orchestra began life trying to set a world record for the biggest number of brass players on one stage. Since then they have toured the world and just released their second album. Locomondo from Athens bring a distinctly Greek feel to their Ska, incorporating traditional instruments and melodic lines. We also catch up with The Skatalites, one of the original Jamaican pioneers of Ska music.

(Photo: Oreskaband, all-female ska band from Japan)

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