Originating in the Caribbean island of Jamaica, Ska is an amazing musical genre. It combines elements found in Jazz, Soul, Motown, R&B and Calypso, but its distinctive offbeat rhythm comes directly from a traditional form of Jamaican music called Mento. It first appeared as a distinct musical style in the early 1960s, and although the "first wave" waned in popularity around 1966, its charm endured, giving birth to Rocksteady, Reggae, Two-Tone, and many other Jamaican and Jamaican-influenced musical forms since.

The origin of the word Ska is a little unclear. Its spelling does not do justice to its quaint authentic pronunciation, which sounds like "skee-yah," with the final vowel pronounced more like the a in "cat." Some assert that it is onomatopoeic, describing the "ya-ya" quality of the rhythm. It also may derive from a hipster greeting of the time, "Skavoovie!" In the U.K., this music was also known as Blue Beat, derived from a record label of the same name that proffered the music to English youth, notably white Mods.

A traditional Ska band usually is very similar to a small jazz combo: a rhythm section consisting of drums, bass, jazz guitar, and often a piano or organ, and a horn section, predominantly featuring saxophones, which interestingly enough, usually divides itself into half rhythmic duties and half melodic to ensure the characteristic sound. Some original Ska pieces had vocals but many did not. However, the early form of Jamaican rap known as "toasting" was often heard in what would otherwise be instrumental numbers.

Although most Rocksteady and Reggae songs have the signature "skank," the distinctive groove resulting from the rhythm guitar plucked on the offbeat, the Ska version is generally faster and more upbeat.

Some great legendary Ska bands and artists: The Skatalites, Roland Alphonso, Tommy McCook, Prince Buster, Desmond Dekker, and Millie Small. Even mouseketeer Annette Funicello recorded a Ska song around this time.

As an after-shock of the punk and new wave explosion, the success of Mod revivalist bands such as The Jam and Secret Affair helped kick off the "second wave" known as Two-Tone, named partly after another English record label. The music was essentially Ska fused with English Mod/Skinhead (the original non-racist type), American Motown, and other later Jamaican styles. Bands such as Madness, The Specials, The Selecter, The "English" Beat, L.A.'s The Untouchables, Bad Manners, etc., came from this wave. Later, as the emphasis changed from Jamaican to Motown, bands such as General Public, Funboy Three, and The Style Council emerged from the ashes of the prior core of groups.

The theme of this music was racial acceptance and it shared many of the same anti-authoritarian sentiments as the concurrent punk and new wave music. The identifying symbol of this music are black and white checkers, to symbolize racial integration. This motif is still in use by Ska kids today.

As a testament to its enduring charm, Ska experienced a "third wave" in more recent years with bands such as Catch 22, Reel Big Fish, The Slackers, The Aquabats, and The Good Skamaritians. Even No Doubt started as a ska band.