About this item

To celebrate Jamaica’s 50 Years of Independance 1962-2012, Kingston Sounds have put together a series of releases that cover the musical styles that reggae mutated into through its history: ska, rocksteady, roots reggae, dub, DJ style and dancehall. So, Listen Up! and enjoy!

Welcome to the ska beat, the sound that came from Jamaica between 1961 and 1967. Based on the American R&B and doo-wop records that the sound systems in Kingston Town used to play. The American records style started to mellow out while the Jamaicans preferred a more upbeat sound. So to meet this demand the sound system bosses became record producers to cater for this demand. Sir Coxonne, Duke Reid lead the way by putting the top musicians on the Island in the studio to make this ska sound! Here for your enjoyment is a selection of some of the top tunes that made ska so great.