Various Artists – Ska Around the World (Putumayo World Music, 2018)
Putumayo compilation Ska Around the World takes the listener on a lively trip throughout the world, showcasing artists who have incorporated ska into their music, including the famed Jamaican band The Skatalites. Ska is the upbeat Jamaican dance music style born in the late 1960s that preceded reggae.
Ska was “rediscovered” in the early 1980s when some British pop acts (part of what was called New Wave) integrated it into their music. Later, it was also adopted by French-Spanish artist Manu Chao and many of his followers, who made what is known as mestizo music, a hybridization of various musical genres.
Ska Around the World includes various fascinating interpretations of ska, ranging from rootsy, brass-fueled songs and instrumentals, to ska-pop forms. The artists sing in English, Spanish and Dutch.
The artists featured include Orquestra Brasileira de Música Jamaicana (Brazil); Chris Murray (Canada); Akatz (Spain); The Skatalites (Jamaica); Zazí (The Netherlands); The Pepper Pots feat. ASPO (Spain); Playing for Change (USA); The New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble (USA); Sarazino (Algeria/Ecuador); and St. Petersburg Ska-Jazz Review (Russia).
The CD booklet includes an introduction to ska music and profiles of each artist.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
