Ska was developed in Jamaica in the early 1960s and laid the corner stone for rocksteady and reggae. This book provides an in-depth analysis of ska and its emergence pursuing an interdisciplinary approach. The first part of this book deals with the musicological analysis of ska and its progenitors drawing from comprehensive transcriptions of representative recordings. In order to sufficiently understand the process of ska s shaping, the second part focuses on historic, economic, political, cultural, and music-sociological aspects before and during the development of ska. Covered are questions...