For years, the Twin Cities have lacked a regular ska/reggae DJ night, much to the dismay of all of us who all-too-rarely get a chance to go out and dance to vintage Jamaican 45′s booming for hours on end.  Seeking to end this dry spell, Aaron Porter (of The Prizefighters/MN Ska) is officially launching the Prizefighter Sound System this September at Grumpy’s Downtown.

See the flier for all the key details, and you can find out more after the jump.

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Our friends over at Flavorpill have posted a very interesting article that touches on the etymology of 10 musical genres, including ska and reggae.  According to the blog:

Ska: We know ska first appeared in ’50s Jamaica, but we’re still not sure who coined the term. Various musicians claim that it 1) refers to the “skat! skat! skat!” sound a guitar makes, 2) came about in 1959, when bassist Cluett Johnson told guitarist Ernest Ranglin to “play ska, ska, ska,” 3) that it evolved from Johnson’s typical slang greeting “skavoovie”, and 4) that musician an producer Byron Lee made it up.

Reggae: By the time Toots & the Maytals, who are credited with originating the term “reggae” in 1968 first named a song “Do the Reggay,” it was already known in Kingston as a slower version of rocksteady. It is thought to have evolved from rege-rege, which in its literal form means “ragged clothes” but also came to mean “a quarrel, protest.”

You can check out the entire article HERE

America’s Finest News Source, The Onion, has uncovered a rare nugget of US ska history.  And you thought Obama only wore suits because he’s the President…

Friend of MNSka, Steve from the Duff Guide To Ska blog and formerly of Moon Records recently posted his thoughts on what the current state of the national ska scene is here in the U.S.  He points out:

Clearly, the scene is lacking an energized center, an organizing, hydra-headed entity with the cash, peoplepower, verve, and mad skills to produce, release, and distribute a steady stream of albums (digital or tangible); to put together larger package tours that are the bread and butter of both established acts and newcomers; and effectively promote everything to the core of fans and beyond in a manner that actually makes a profit (so both the bands and label peeps who do the work get paid) to keep it all functioning and moving forward.

He makes many good points, but most of all that the nation is lacking a cohesive national ska scene.  This is an issue that MNSKA would like to put effort into remedying.  Go over to his site and read the rest of the article.  Make sure you let him know your thoughts by leaving him a comment.

Oh what’s in a name?  Adam Coozer over at ReadJunk has posted his latest column detailing a few rules in determining if a ska band is terrible without even listening to them.  Of course, none of his rules work on bands that were on Moon Records or those outside the US.

Here is an example of one his 9 rules:Three Words. Any band name that consists of three words, none being an article or preposition, means that the band SUCKS. The bands that REALLY SUCK follow an Adjective-Adjective-Noun or Adjective-Noun-Noun format.

You can check out the whole column on ReadJunk.

This video is taken from a documentary that traces back the origin of the word “ska.”  It breaks down 4 different theories of where the word comes from and how it was used.  Benjamin Zephaniah explores these theories and traces the word back to Jamaica in the 1950′s.  Enjoy!

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...FREEDOM!!!

Today, August 6th, 2009, is Jamaica’s 47th Birthday!  In the summer of 1962, Jamaica won its independence from Great Britain, sparking a frenzy of national pride which led to the mainstream popularity of ska music.  Before independence, ska was seen by the Jamaican upper class as undesirable rough and tough street music, but once the island nation became free from Colonial rule, ska became THE sound of freedom.  Ska was the national dance; You couldn’t go anywhere without hearing ska music being played.

MN Ska wishes Jamaica and Jamaicans a Happy Independence Day as we give thanks and praise to the country and people who brought the world that wonderful ska beat we all love and know so well.  As my good friend Derrick Morgan would say: “The time has come when you can have your fun, so take a run – WE’RE INDEPENDENT!!”

Lord Tanamo is currently stuck abandoned in a Canadian Nursing Home after suffering a stoke back in June, which has left him unable to speak!  This is made worse by the fact that he hasn’t been able to contact friends or family, so no one has known his whereabouts the whole time he has been in the home.

If you can, please write Lord Tanamo (aka Joseph Gordon) a letter!  It would mean so much to him to know that people out there care about his well-being.  He can be reached at:

Joseph Gordan
c/o Lincoln Place Nursing Home
429 Walmer Road
Toronto Ontario
M5P 2X9
Canada

Read more at the Jamaica Observer

Legendary ska artist Derrick Morgan will be the subject of a documentary by Boston DJ Generoso Fierro.  Fierro announced to the Boston Globe last week that the film may be released as early as 2009.  As a chance to “preserve history” as well as see a  well-known ska legend perform, Fierro flew Morgan to Cambridge, MA in June to play at the Middle East Club before an intense crowd of die-hard ska fans.  This performance was filmed and will be the centerpiece of the documentary.

Morgan was one of the first superstars of popular Jamaican music and is partially blind.  His hits include “Lover Boy,” “Don’t Call Me Daddy,” “Be Still,” and “Blazing Fire.”  Fierro has created a filmed documentary on Tinidadian guitarist Lynn Taitt, who was a key figure in ska and rocksteady.

A ska-themed bike scavenger hunt will be held on August 23rd at Loring Park. Looks like a good time. Check out details at:

http://skavenger.org/#