Ska School

[Marbles_shrooms]

Alright we all love ska, but mabey some of us arent sure where it came from, when it started, where it started, like myself, i mean i love ska, but i dont really know much about it, there are different forms of ska? i really dont know anything, educate me, Please  

[nitroglycerin]

[ Message temporarily off-line ]  

[The Unstoppable Sheep]

Ooooooooooooooooooo, great info! Very informative. whee  

[YoKo The Pastry Farmer]

If you are too lazy to read all that jazz (or ska) I will sumerize it.

Original ska was first. Bands like Desmond Dekker played fancy dance halls and it was the style of the 60s.

Two tone stuff the came in the 70s and it started a new craze. A little more "rude" than clasic ska, they started playing shows and not just dance halls. Some good bands at the time (and they still rock) were The Skalites (who still play shows) and The Internetional Beat (or just, The Beat).

Now we have the 90s where people started ska again but with punk/rock influence. This third wave is now what most people think when they hear the word ska. Most all of you here know what some good third wave bands are, but mine are Mustard Plug, Bosstones and TSPO.  

[girl_no_13]

Yay- the Beat! But you forgot 80's ska- really popular stuff like the Specials and Madness!
I didnt know Desmond Dekker was playing in the 60s, you learn stuff every day!  

[YoKo The Pastry Farmer]

Yes, but it was the late 60s...  

[Marbles_shrooms]

Nice, yea im more into third wave, ska core that stuff.  

[GIoom]

Marbles_shrooms

Nice, yea im more into third wave, ska core that stuff.

No two-tone at all? Wow, you are deprived.  

[Parapluie]

Alright, now I know for sure. Just about everytime I try to describe the history of ska to someone I tell them it's where reggae got it's roots and nobody believes but this is the third source that's said that.  

[girl_no_13]

Parapluie

Alright, now I know for sure. Just about everytime I try to describe the history of ska to someone I tell them it's where reggae got it's roots and nobody believes but this is the third source that's said that.

how could people not believe that? For a start in lots of the early music you can hear it!  

[King Of The Ska]

girl_no_13

Parapluie

Alright, now I know for sure. Just about everytime I try to describe the history of ska to someone I tell them it's where reggae got it's roots and nobody believes but this is the third source that's said that.

how could people not believe that? For a start in lots of the early music you can hear it!

Easy. People=idiots.  

[GLKilowog]

Thanks for the info! ::had no idea what ska meant. Speed Calypso. How cool::  

[Speed Calypso]

And now,

Skanking 101
By Bob Timm.

A 1990s prime time network cartoon featured a couple teens tossing a Toasters record on the stereo, with one friend proclaiming, "C'mon, let's do the ska!"

If you're a big fan, that probably sounds like a great invitation, but it may also strike fear into the hearts of young new fans. In fact, there are many ska fans out there who might (or should) confess to not knowing much about how to dance to this great music. What exactly is the ska? the skank? the rocksteady? the monkey?

Before you go crazy with steps and instructions, we must realize that there are some strange permutations of history that have warped the history of the skank. In the dancehalls of Kingston, Jamaica, in the early 1960s, dancers developed a natural style of bouncing and swaying to the hot new beat. When the dance and music were introduced to the world at the 1964 World's Fair in New York, however, neither the music, the dancers, nor the dance were completely authentic. Rather than transport genuine West Kingston rudies to Flushing, New York, the Jamaican government chose to present a cleaner, more stylized version to America. Decidely non-Jamaican dancers Ronnie Nasralla and Jannette Phillips led crowds through dances like "the ska," "the ska row," and "the ska ride," all of which were much more regulated than anything done in Kingston. In fact, the classic Jamaican skank is really very simple, but moving when you see old black and white footage of well-dressed Jamaicans bouncing in unison.

To do the classic, authentic skank, follow these simple steps:
(After you get your music, of course - I recommend The Specials!!)

Step One: Bend Forward
Get that stiffness out of your spine, hang forward, but not too far, and get those arms and knees loose.

Step Two: Bend Knees and Elbows
Bend your elbows and clench your fists if you want to get that real rude attitude. Try to look more like you're getting ready to go sprinting rather than skiing.

Step Three: Claim Your Space
Get those feet shoulder-length apart, move one foot slightly forward, and take up as much of the dance floor as you can while you start your arms cranking back and forth. It might help if you pretend your shaking some maracas.

Step Four: Start Moving
Feel the beat. Get those arms swinging slightly and feel the bounce as you swing your hips. Move your weight from one foot to the other with each skank. Make sure you coordinate your arms and legs. If your right fist is moving forward, you should also be moving your right knee forward as you shift your weight. Then shift to the left.

Step Five: Skank to the Beat
Now start to vibe with some classic ska sounds. If you're doing a classic skank, your feet should not be moving too much. Rather, you should be bouncing with the upbeats and cranking those elbows. For added style, get a real cool expression and stare somewhere off in the upper corner of the room. Preferably with shades.  

[King Of The Ska]

Kyoko Toshi

And now,

Skanking 101
By Bob Timm.

A 1990s prime time network cartoon featured a couple teens tossing a Toasters record on the stereo, with one friend proclaiming, "C'mon, let's do the ska!"

If you're a big fan, that probably sounds like a great invitation, but it may also strike fear into the hearts of young new fans. In fact, there are many ska fans out there who might (or should) confess to not knowing much about how to dance to this great music. What exactly is the ska? the skank? the rocksteady? the monkey?

Before you go crazy with steps and instructions, we must realize that there are some strange permutations of history that have warped the history of the skank. In the dancehalls of Kingston, Jamaica, in the early 1960s, dancers developed a natural style of bouncing and swaying to the hot new beat. When the dance and music were introduced to the world at the 1964 World's Fair in New York, however, neither the music, the dancers, nor the dance were completely authentic. Rather than transport genuine West Kingston rudies to Flushing, New York, the Jamaican government chose to present a cleaner, more stylized version to America. Decidely non-Jamaican dancers Ronnie Nasralla and Jannette Phillips led crowds through dances like "the ska," "the ska row," and "the ska ride," all of which were much more regulated than anything done in Kingston. In fact, the classic Jamaican skank is really very simple, but moving when you see old black and white footage of well-dressed Jamaicans bouncing in unison.

To do the classic, authentic skank, follow these simple steps:
(After you get your music, of course - I recommend The Specials!!)

Step One: Bend Forward
Get that stiffness out of your spine, hang forward, but not too far, and get those arms and knees loose.

Step Two: Bend Knees and Elbows
Bend your elbows and clench your fists if you want to get that real rude attitude. Try to look more like you're getting ready to go sprinting rather than skiing.

Step Three: Claim Your Space
Get those feet shoulder-length apart, move one foot slightly forward, and take up as much of the dance floor as you can while you start your arms cranking back and forth. It might help if you pretend your shaking some maracas.

Step Four: Start Moving
Feel the beat. Get those arms swinging slightly and feel the bounce as you swing your hips. Move your weight from one foot to the other with each skank. Make sure you coordinate your arms and legs. If your right fist is moving forward, you should also be moving your right knee forward as you shift your weight. Then shift to the left.

Step Five: Skank to the Beat
Now start to vibe with some classic ska sounds. If you're doing a classic skank, your feet should not be moving too much. Rather, you should be bouncing with the upbeats and cranking those elbows. For added style, get a real cool expression and stare somewhere off in the upper corner of the room. Preferably with shades.

ROFL! heart

But,I actually picked up skankin' really fast. Nobody told me how, and I did it right.  

[Speed Calypso]

And here's the more interesting part:

Here's an ever-so-quick review of some of the added variations in ska's brief but great history:

Rocksteady: Steady Rock Easy
For the more mellow rocksteady era, you'll want more of a pose, less movement in the arms and legs ('cause it too HOT!) and most of your expression coming from your hips.

Skinhead Stomp
When you're ready to strap on your braces and Doc Martens, you can add more of a snarl and a bit more machoism and testosterone (yes, even you skinhead gals) to the classic skank. The stomp comes in when you really lift those boots off the ground and start thomping with the more uptempo rhythms of early reggae.

Two Tone: Kick-starting the 80s Skank
Here's the classic "rudeboy" skank that most young ska fans today know. As ska mixes with the tempo of punk, you'll be adding a kick forward with every beat. You'll have more of a skip and a hop in there as you emulate your favorite British ska idols.

Ska-core: Slam and Mosh
When the skank hits the States, the more hardcore fans take more from the punk/metal moshpit then they do from Kingston style. This is where you really start to see some dance culture clashes on the club floors.

Third Wave: That "Running in Place" Thing
Ah, the great mystery of the 90s. Little skasters jogging in place as fast as they can. Somewhere in there, there is still some slight evidence of the skank, and therefore, some hope.