To follow on from our last blog about skins here is a small read about Ska which was music for the British mods and skinheads. If you didn’t know Ska is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 50’s and early 60’s and was precursor to rock steady and reggae, combining elements from Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz, rhythm & blues.
You can define Ska with a walking bassline with rhythm on the beat, and the likes of Stranger Cole, Prince Buster, Clement Coxsone Dodd and Duke Reid formed sound systems to play R n B and began to record their own songs. Typical characteristics of Ska are rock instruments plus horns, melodic tradeoff between singers and horn sections, 4/4 time signature and lyrics focused on social justice.
Ska was divided into three periods of original Jamaican in the 60’s, then 2 tone Ska revival of the late 70’s in Britain infusing Jamaican Ska with faster tempos with harder edge of punk rock forming Ska-Punk. The third wave of Ska came in the 80’s & 90’s with more of a world wide range.
The fashion of Ska music was influenced by the mods, skins and the gangster styles of the 60’s. Wearing polished black shoes or boots, straight cut trousers or jeans with the same high ankle style that the skinheads adopted, revealing white cotton socks, also combining button down shirts with skinny ties, braces and polos , Harrington’s, bomber jackets, two tone tonic fabrics, tweeds, prince of wales check and dog tooth patterns, Dr martins, monkey boots, desert boots, and winkle pickers all made this look possible.
For many music and cups of tea make the world go round so thanks to Ska music. This was a great era for music and lifestyle.
Style, Quality, and British heritage, it’s a way of life.
A personal shout out to Keith and Chrissy that always look the part. x
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ever seen the book, Skinhead?..
it breaks it down well enough to be understood by an outsider, do’s and dont’s.. Rude Boy style, Search the Many Ska songs dedicated to them, the strict well fitted Suits, this was also the 60s Modern look, call it young persons. the main difference would have been the Tonic/shark skin fabric, thin lapels 3 button Tailored Suits, This was adopted by Mods, Then Original Skinheads, Fitted Trousers (Levi Sta-Press).. Narrowed tastefully at the Cuff, Dress Shirt, gingham/plaid pattern (Button Down Collar) a must, also shirt pattern must match chest pocket as well, Ben Sherman, as for “Polo shirt/generic term”.. Only one Brand is excepted, (Fred Perry) “tennis shirt”.. yes polo copied this style, (Fred Perry) Shirt with signature Wreath Color is offset of Base Color, ei; black shirt with Red Wreath and accent piping on Collar and End of sleeve…
brace’s yes, Jeans (Levi 501)..
(swen in Roll/cuff ) “like I wear them” Monkey Boots?.. not seen here on a Rude Boy, Mod or Skinhead,.. colored laces after 2nd Gen era, later 70s.. this is also the unfortunate rise of the Neo Fascist Bonehead types, who took the Name, so often Misidentified as Skinheads who adhere to the Traditional Skinhead style and Music..
search 2 Tone era.. A name also identify Skinheads who listen to the 2nd wave of Ska out of U.K bands like Madness, The Specials, Bad Manners..
this era is where I believe the White laces really started being seen everywhere,
again Unfortunately taken by the Neo Fascist Bonehead and as before gets Misidentified by outsiders as a clear indicator of Racism…
both are worn by traditional and Neo Fascist, Red is also…
new to me modern trend is apparently Yellow laces means, S.H.A.R.P type of Skinhead..
Skin-
Head –
against –
Racial –
prejudice -..
I’ve never been a Person who needed this Patch to Mark Me as Against..
or any need to Claim this…
the History of Reggae Music is the History of Skinhead culture.
with many songs dedicated to the fans of This Music..
search (Skinhead Reggae)..
this is very important to me and my family of chosen friends, this Subculture is alive and well still, all over the world now, still keeping the Tradition of Skinhead…
cheers from Southern California ????????
51 as I type this and will always be a Skinhead until the end..
Mr De La Torre