Overseas ska: A roundup of must-know representative bands

SKA is a music genre that emerged in Jamaica in the 1950s and 1960s, said to have been born under the influence of American jazz and R&B, as well as “mento,” a Jamaican folk style.

Even if you know little about ska, you’ve probably heard its beat with the accented 2nd and 4th counts at least once—ska elements are actually woven into a wide variety of genres.

For those who want to start listening to SKA, we’ll introduce a range of iconic international bands across multiple styles—from original ska to 2 Tone, neo-ska, ska punk, and ska-core!