A trial against time and trend : ska’s generational rhythmic statement of the oppressed

Abstract

In the depths of the underground soil, roots scatter wherever growth leads them, an expansion similar to the ones enslaved Africans went through, involuntary, establishing La Africanidad [The Africanness] in the Caribbean. This root expansion generated an immense variety of musical genres that up to date remain relevant in different parts of the planet. There are popular and frequently researched sounds such as reggae and calypso, and then there are those by comparison underexplored, and relatively forgotten such as ska, a genre born out of an African base, American motivation, and an Afro-Caribbean sazón. This “sazón,” refers to a rich and unique seasoning that gives an audience the urge to dance even if their pairs of legs get liberated. Some of these traits in ska’s development can be attributed to calypso, and the nature of the rest of its influences, including ska’s base, a genre called mento. Thanks to calypso, ska’s consistency in core-sound and lyrics have endured decades, though it remains lost inside memories of the collective. A key purpose of this research is to break with the notion that if a musical genre is absent in popular media, that does not mean it ceases to exist. In the case of ska, those permutations have gone global, and the musical genre’s core characteristics have evolved.