Before reggae, there were the Skatalites
Published 21 May, 2008, 09:30
The legendary Jamaican band, the Skalalites, has returned for a fifth tour of Russia, playing their upbeat hits for an ecstatic crowd at Moscow's Apelsin Club on Tuesday night.
More than forty years after they started, the Skatalites still take the stage to the sound of screaming fans.
Before stars like Bob Marley put reggae in record collections around the world, the Skatalites were laying the foundations of Jamaican music.
“This music is the original Jamaican music. Everything is from the Ska. The rock steady is from the Ska, the reggae is from the Ska, the dancehall – everything is from the Ska. This is the first music people start to dance. That is why it comes right back around – it's a phase you know it comes right around,” Vin Gordon, Trombone of Skatalites.
The genre they pioneered has been repeatedly revived and reinvented. A wave of American and British Ska-punk crossovers rose to stardom in the 1980s and 90s, and many contemporary Russian bands count Ska amongst their influences.
The Skatalites success and longevity has helped them find not only younger fans, but also younger musicians to keep the sound fresh.
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