Definition of Ska?

[dixcee2001]

Could someone give me a definition of Ska, and what is the difference between Ska and Reggae?

[quickman]

I was never sure of the difference, but TW is obviously too young to remember that both arrived in the UK from the West Indies in the mid-sixties, eg the Ska style 'Guns of Navarone' by the Specials was a very minor hit for the Skatalites in 1967, see compilations such as One Original Step Beyond.

[mikewith]

Yep, ska predates reggae (and certainly predates the Specials and the Beat, fantastic as those bands were!). It was a local blend of mento (Jamaican folk music), R&B, jazz and other local sounds, dating back to the early 1960s. Prince Buster was one of the early heroes of ska - as namechecked by Madness many years later - and it was very much *the* scene in Kingston. Desmond Dekker was probably the best known ska artist in Britain. Ska slowed down, got soulful and became Rocksteady, and when the music continued to evolve - heavy heavy bass, the return of horns, more conscious lyrics - it became known as reggae.