Question:
What's the difference between ska and reggae?
Secondhand
2009-07-08 21:06:24 UTC
What's the difference between ska and reggae?
Seven answers:
MUZ
2009-07-09 21:40:53 UTC
Ska

- a music genre that originated in Jamaica late 1950s

- was the precursor to rocksteady & reggae

- combined elements of Caribbean mento & calypso with American jazz & rhythm & blues

- characterized by a walking bass line accented with rhythms on the offbeat.



Reggae

- a music genre first developed in Jamaica late 1960s

- music style that originated following on the development of ska & rocksteady

- based on a rhythmic style characterized by accents on the off-beat, known as the skank

- normally slower than ska

- song lyrics deal with many subjects, including religion, love, sexuality, peace, relationships, poverty, injustice & other social & political issues.
skahoj
2009-07-09 16:39:33 UTC
Che Vive is the only one who is correct. Ska is just one step in the evolution of reggae. First in Jamaica there was Mento and other Caribbean styles, which developed into Ska during the late 50's early 60's with the influence of American R&B music. Some examples are Price Buster, Very early Wailers, Desmond Dekker, and the Skatalites. By the late 60's, the music had slowed down and was called Rocksteady but was still largely influenced by R&B. By the early 70's it had slowed down again, the lyrics were more political, social, or culture based, and the new sound came to be known as reggae.



2nd wave ska (2tone era) started in the late 70's, with bands such as The Specials and Madness. It was a revival of the Ska sound. The second revival was the 3rd wave, which started in the 80's with bands like Might Mighty Bosstones and lasted through the mid to late 90's with No Doubt, Reel Big Fish, The Slackers, etc. There was also a lot of ska punk and ska-core throughout this era, for example Operation Ivy, Voodoo Glow Skulls, and Suicide Machines.



Most young people are only familiar with the 3rd wave, and sometimes also the 2nd.



To answer your question, if you listen to any ska band mentioned above, then listen to a reggae artist (try Bob Marley, Buju Banton, Black Uhuru, Steel pulse, etc) you will be able to clearly hear the difference.
anonymous
2009-07-09 05:51:10 UTC
Ska, as in Pure ska, is an infusion of reggae and alternative rock using horns.

great real ska bands are Reel Big Fish, Streetlight Manifesto and Long Beach Dub Allstars



Reggae is generally more toned down. Bob Marley and such.
anonymous
2009-07-09 04:13:33 UTC
ska came before reggae, combining jamaican style with american blues. Reggae is a lot more general and slower. ska punk fuses ska and punk rock and came a lot later than both ska and reggae
FoSho
2009-07-09 04:12:24 UTC
Ska comes from reggae. It is more upbeat. Today's ska often has a horn section and has punk influences (Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish)
Floyd Maniac likes Prog.
2009-07-09 04:13:57 UTC
Ska is reggae with french horns and other brass instruments, but what most people call ska is actually ska punk, like sublime.
teh anti-pasto (R.I.P. Lux)
2009-07-09 15:10:30 UTC
ska, well, like really good 2-tone ska, is faster and generally has more instruments.

ska:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YthLQSqXjLo



reggae:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iD-pjvjO6W0


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
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