Run come celebrate 50 years of Jamaican independence!

DJs Paul Harding and Aaron Porter will be spinning original Jamaican vinyl spanning the entire history of Jamaica’s independence, from calypso to ska, rocksteady to reggae, dub to dancehall and beyond! Nothing but big tunes to make you shake and groove – all vinyl, all night!

Music starts at 9pm, No Cover! Happy Hour from 9 – midnight! Let’s have some fun and celebrate independent Jamaica’s 50th anniversary inna fine style!
JAMAICA 50 – August 6th, 1962 – August 6th, 2012

Related show

• Band: BA BA BOOM! Jamaica’s 50th Anniversary
• Date: Monday, August 6th 2012
• Time: 9:00pm
• City: BA BA BOOM! Jamaica’s 50th Anniversary in Minneapolis, MN
• Venue: King & I Thai
• Address: 1346 La Salle Ave S
• Country: US
• Admission: FREE
• Age restrictions: 21+
• More information
• Add to Google Calendar | Download iCal

Today, Jamaica celebrates 50 years of independence, sparking celebrations that reach all the way to the Twin Cities!  This week, there are several musical events taking place in Minneapolis that commemorate Jamaican music and the world-wide impact it has made.

TONIGHT (Monday, Aug. 6th)
BA BA BOOM — featuring DJs Paul Harding and Aaron Porter 
King & I Thai  (1346 La Salle Ave S, Mpls)
9pm, 21+, No Cover
DJs will be spinning sets of all-Jamaican vinyl, including rocksteady, reggae, ska, dancehall, and dub

Wednesday, August 8th
Mighty Heptones and Ken Boothe
Epic (110 5th St N, Mpls)
8pm, 21+, $25
Authentic Jamaican food and drink will be served!
The Mighty Heptones are a reggae and rocksteady vocal group prevalent in Jamaica in the late 60′s and early 70′s
Ken Boothe is an accomplished Jamaican Studio One artist, coming to prominence in the early days of reggae and rocksteady.  His song “Artibella” was recently generously sampled by Snoop Lion (formerly known as Snoop Dogg) on his latest single “La La La”

Saturday, August 11th
Mighty Mighty Bosstones
First Ave Mainroom
6pm, 18+, $25
Long-running Boston skacore band The Mighty Mighty Bosstones are returning to First Ave after a decade-long absence.  The band draws heavily from Jamaican ska music and blends it with gritty Boston punk rock, but the band hasn’t forgotten their roots.  Their song “Don’t Worry Desmond Dekker” is an ode to the ska pioneers of Jamaica.

Hope to see you at one of these events, you just might come away with a greater appreciation for Jamaica and its greatest cultural contribution…the music!

The May edition of Boss Sounds Downtown is upon us! Beautiful late Spring weather in Minneapolis is only made sweeter by the heavy 60s Jamaican beat pumping through the sound system, and it’s all going down at Grumpy’s downtown this Thursday. Jamaican ska, rocksteady, and reggae all on original 45 for your dancing and listening pleasure.

Music starts at 10, no cover! Come on down and have a drink with friends and dance the night away.

Related show

• Band: Boss Sounds Downtown
• Date: Thursday, May 17th 2012
• Time: 10:00pm
• City: Boss Sounds Downtown in Minneapolis, MN
• Venue: Grumpy’s Downtown
• Address: 1111 South Washington Ave
• Venue phone: 612-340-9738
• Country: US
• Admission: FREE
• Age restrictions: 21+
• Notes:
  Prizefighter Sound System
  Vintage Jamaican Reggae, Ska, and Soul Vinyl
• Add to Google Calendar | Download iCal

LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE!  The 1st Annual Ska-POW! Battle of the Bands is going down TOMORROW NIGHT at the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis, MN, hosted by emcee Ben Crew from local hardcore band In Defence.  The throwdown is going down at 8 pm and the cover at the door is $5.  The show is 18+ and Tallgrass Brewing will be there with beer specials (with ID).  The winner of the Battle will win the coveted title belt (see pic) and bragging rights for the year.

WHO ARE THE CONTENDERS?

Rocksteady Breakfast
Liquor Beats Winter
Blue Waffle
Stop Drop

The bands will be playing a 3-song set (Original, Instrumental, Cover) and a 4-song set of Band Favorites.  In the halftime between the sets, there will be a crowd-participatory Skank Dance Off judged by Koo Koo Kanga Roo and DJ’ed by Aaron Porter.

Show off your dance skills, win prizes, drink on the cheap, and enjoy some high-caliber local ska!

MNSKA’s own Aaron Porter recently traveled to Jamaica and took part in some ska-related adventures.  Aaron sat in on a rehearsal session for Ska Rebirth (aka The Young Skatalites) playing their version of “Ska-ing West”. Ska Rebirth is comprised of recently-graduated players from Alpha Boys School, led by Alpha bandmaster Sparrow Martin (on drums).

You can check out the video on YouTube HERE

MNSKA’s own Aaron Porter (The Prizefighters) took a recent trip to Jamaica and was able to meet many legendary ska and reggae artists in person.  Hopefully we will be able to chronicle some of Aaron’s adventures here on the site, but for now we can share this video.  The video shows Aaron in ska legend Derrick Morgan‘s home studio in Clarendon, accompanying him on guitar while he sings his 1962 ska hit “In My Heart.”  Enjoy!

You can check out the video on YouTube HERE

Legendary MNSKA band Umbrella Bed returned from their hiatus to open for the big MNSKA Double Album-Release Party at the Nomad World Pub in Minneapolis last Friday night.  Here’s a video of the band, featuring special guest guitarist and former band member Aaron Porter, performing their song “Cap’n George.”  This was the band’s first show with new bassist Frankie Guerra.  Big thanks to Cameron Klos for the video!

You can check out the video on YouTube HERE

LA’s premiere dirty reggae band The Aggrolites are bringing their gritty sound to the 7th Street Entry at First Avenue in Minneapolis on Thursday, October 20th!  The band is currently on tour to promote their Unleashed Live: Volume 1 collection of live songs.  Also playing this show are Roots Of Creation and local Wisconsin reggae-rockers T.U.G.G.  MNSKA’s own Aaron Porter (The Prizefighters) will be spinning Jamaican 45s in-between sets to keep the party rocking all night.

Tickets are available HERE

Thursday, October 20
7th Street Entry / 8:00 pm / 18+
THE AGGROLITES
with ROOTS OF CREATION
T.U.G.G.

DJ sets by Aaron Porter (The Prizefighters)

$15.00 adv | $15.00 door

MNSKA band and Megalith Records artists The Dropsteppers are planning to release their debut full-length album Get Up In It! very soon.  So for your viewing pleasure, here is what the cover art, designed by MNSKA’s own Aaron Porter, looks like.

The Dropsteppers have planned a CD release show at The Nomad World Pub in Minneapolis on Friday, October 21st with The Prizefighters, who will be releasing their new vinyl, and the return of Umbrella Bed.  Stay tuned for more details.

Check out the tracklisting for Get Up In It! after the jump.

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During this past year, we have seen a few changes on Rude Radio, the weekly ska radio show on Radio K (KUOM University of Minnesota).  We said goodbye to DJs Reverend Evan and Citizen D and welcomed DJ Dylan to helm the ship.  Now, after a long absence, you are able to stream podcasts of Rude Radio!

Right now you can stream the April 17th episode, which is the beginning of the station’s pledge-drive.  To mark the occasion, Dylan invited MNSKA’s own Aaron Porter (The Prizefighters) to spin his personal collection of Jamaican 45′s for an all-vinyl episode.

You can stream the entire episode HERE