SKA Hispano

In what unfortunately seems to be an all too common occurrence recently I've been away from the blog for awhile now but with some time to spare today I thought I would post something.
Some time back I made a post on SKA from Mexico and how outside of the Caribbean, Latin America was one of the regions were the new genre most quickly gained popularity. Yet more often than not most people and record labels in the region typically only considered SKA to be a dance and not an actual genre. Therefore a lot of SKA songs were merely thrown into the generic label of rock or 60's music making it very hard for anyone outside of the region to hear any of this work. Here is a small compilation of SKA and SKA influenced songs from the Spanish speaking world. The majority come from Mexico but there are songs from other countries to be found here. I highly recommend this download if you are a fan of not just SKA and Jamaican music but also if you are a fan of Latin music and 60's western rock/pop music as the influence from both can also clearly be heard.

1. Los Socios del Ritmo - La Pelirroja
2. Los Yorsys - Managua Nicaragua
3. Los Condes - No Me Ilusionare Mas
4. Las Exorcistas - El Mundo Es Un Conflicto
5. Los Aragon - Muneco de Cuerda (Puppet On A String)
6. Manolo Munoz - Se Te Nota
7. Los Millonarios - Jardin de Rosas (Rose Garden)
8. Angelica Maria - Ni Un Poquito de Amor
9. Manolo Munoz - Que Familia (Shame and Scandal)
10. Los Socios del Ritmo - Skokian
11. Las Cuatro Monedas - Lo Consigues Si Lo Quieres Tu ( You Can Get It If You Really Want It)
12. Los 80 Centavos - Baby Besame (Hold Me Tight)
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V.A. - Radio Zid - Rock Under The Siege Sarajevo

I will say that for the most part I am not the greatest fan of live albums however the one I am bringing to you today is one of those few exceptions and the story behind this album makes it all the more amazing.  Rock Under The Siege was put together in 1995 in Sarajevo in the middle of the longest military siege in modern history. Prior to the war in Bosnia, Sarajevo had been a center for many rock, punk, ska, etc. bands that had been influenced by their peers in the west. As the war commenced Radio Zid became one of the only radio stations in all of Sarejvo to continue broadcasting music. Often times resulting n many DJs and radio broadcasters literally risking or losing their lives simply trying to get to their work. In 1995 in the midst of some of the most intense fighting Radio Zid put together a concert with some of the bands that remained in Sarejvo. There is some great material on this album however I will go ahead and say that my version is not complete it only contains a few tracks from what would be the full album. Even an actual physical copy seems almost impossible to find online so if anyone knows where to find or buy the full album please let me know. None the less the version I am uploading has some great material, personal favorites are the live and studio versions of Sara's Dream by Lezi Majmune.  Check this album out it is a great introduction into the little known rock scene of Bosnia and the former Yugoslavia a great album worth giving a listen to.
 1. Down - Mainthing
2. Green Cheese - Ovjek U Plavom
3. Hindustan Motors - Ponekad Pomislim
4. Lezi Majmune - Sara's Dream
5. Lezi Majmune - Sara's Dream (Studio)
6. Protest - Sarajevo Feeling
7. Sikter - Gurda


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V.A. Studio One - Scorcher Instrumentals

Today we have something for any lovers of reggae and jazz that may be out there. As any fan of reggae can tell you the Studio One record label is synonymous with some of the best artists and music to come out of Jamaica. One of the greatest assets of Studio One was its amazing selection of instrumental players who would put down tracks in the 1960's and 70's that to this day continue to influence the Jamaican music scene. This included  groups and musicians like The Skatalites, Jackie Mittoo, The Soul Vendors, and Tommy McCook all of  which can be heard on this album. This album does an amazing job of highlighting the amazing instrumental tracks that were produced during the golden age of Jamaican music as well as demonstrating the influence that outside music had on the Jamaican music scene.The influence of jazz will clearly be seen in these tracks. Not to mention tracks like Lester Sterling's - African Beat which is clearly based on the classic Afrikkaan Beat by Bert Kaempfert. Overall this is a great album which I highly recommend as there is no way any music lover could be disappointed with these classic Studio One tracks.


The Skatalites - Coconut Rock
Cedric Im Brooks & The Sound Dimension - Mun Dun Go
The Skatalites & Tommy McCook & Richard Ace - Shockers Rock
The Soul Vendors - Ringo Rock
Jackie Mittoo & Ernest Ranglin - Jericho Skank
New Establishment - The People Skanking
Karl Bryan & The Afrokats - Money Generator
Lester Sterling - Afrikaan Beat
The Sound Dimension - Heavy Rock
Sugar Belly - In Cold Blood
The Skatalites & Don D. Junior - Heavenless
The Soul Vendors - Bugaloo
Vin Gordon - Red Blood
Pablo Black - Push Pull
Jackie Mittoo & Brentford Rockers - Sidewalk Doctor
Liberation Group - Namibia
The Brentford Road All Stars - Last Call
The Soul Defenders - Still Calling
Karl Bryan & Count Ossie - Black 
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DJ Algoriddim

Now we take a look at not really any specific artist but instead one of my favorite music channels on Youtube "djalgoriddim". This channel is truly any old school reggae lovers dream as it compiles many of the most popular and influential "riddims"that have made their way through the Jamaican music scene. A riddim is basically the music featured in a song or in other words the instrumental portion. Another way to think of it would be like a cover however different versions of a riddim can sometimes contain different lyrics or no lyrics at all etc. This has its origins in the early days of ska and rocksteady when the Jamaican labels would do their own takes on jazz classics from the US and to avoid paying the western labels they would rename the songs and thus the "riddim"was born. So unlike in the west where copying even a small part of another artists work be it vocal or instrumental is often looked down upon in Jamaica it is fairly common even in the music scene today An example of a riddim that had origins in the US would be that of The Russians Are Coming by Val Bennet which is known as the "Take Five riddim"since it is based on the classic Take Five by Dave Brubeck.
Really recommend checking this channel out even if you are not a lover of reggae as many of the classic riddims had their roots in other genres like jazz, soul, funk, and rock so you might find something you didn't even know existed.

Clasicos del Ska Mexicano (Classic Mexican Ska)

When the genre of Ska comes up the two countries that most people instantaneously think of are Jamaica and England. Jamaica being the birthplace of this music and England were it reached a wider audience. However there is one country that unfortunately has been largely forgotten in the history of Ska and that is Mexico. As any Mexican can tell you Mexico is a very diverse country with influences from just about every corner of the globe and the music is a prime example of this. Now looking at the music industry of Mexico and Jamaica in the 1960's both shared one crucial similarity and that was that record labels were all competing trying to put out the best "sounds" be it things influenced from the rock n' roll scene in the US and in Britain or homegrown stuff. In 1965 though a musician by the name of Toño Quirazco traveled to Jamaica and brought back the beats and sounds of Ska making it a huge hit in the country and also making Mexico one of the first countries outside of the Caribbean to start playing the new music genre. Unfortunately many of the artists and Ska songs from this era are almost impossible to find as the majority of people and even some record labels had no idea of their Jamaican heritage and thus just labeled them under the generic rock or tropical music genre labels making any mention of Mexican Ska in the history books almost non-existent.
Here I have put together a small compilation of some of the best of early Mexican Ska with a main focus on
Toño Quirazco who is the one that brought the genre to Mexico. For anyone who is familiar with this style of music you will be able to see in these songs some major influences from classic Jamaican bands like The Skatalites and Toots & The Maytals.
If you are a fan of ska, reggae, Jamaican or Mexican music than I highly recommend you give this a listen as you will not be disappointed 

1. Pily Gao - Mi Novio Esquimal (My Boy Lolipop)
2. Toño Quirazco - Merida Ska
3. Toño Quirazco - La Familia (Shame And Scandal)
4. Jorge Querol con Los Go-Go - Rudi Enamorado (Rudy's In Love)
5. Toño Quirazco - Jala De La Cuerda (Monkey Man)
6. Mayte Gaos - Susi La Coqueta (Runaround Sue)
7. Toño Quirazco - La Mucura
8. Las Misioneras de La Montaña (Monjitas A Go-Go) - Sonreir
9. Toño Quirazco - Ska de Los Santos
10. Toño Quirazco - Xalapa Ska
11. Toño Quirazco - Estambul Ska (Freedom Sounds) 

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Prince Buster - Fabulous Greatest Hits

Prince Buster the king of ska and also one of the greatest musicians to come out of Jamaica. He was one of the first Jamaican artists that I listened to after being introduced to his music by the British 2-Tone bands of the 1980's like The Specials and Madness who covered some of his songs. Until fairly recently he was still doing live tours however Prince Buster's heyday was in the 1960's as he was a pioneer of both ska and rocksteady music. He is known for his often comedic lyrics just have a listen to "10 Commandments" (which has got to be a feminists worst nightmare) or "Big Five" (which at the time was considered extremely crude and thus censored by almost all radio stations in Britain and Jamaica). This album has some great tracks everything from fast paced ska that will make you want to move along to the beat. To the slower and sweeter sounds of rocksteady. I really recommend this one if you want an introduction to one of the greatest musicians to come out of Jamaica or simply just want some great music to add to your collection

 1. Madness
2. Al Capone
3. Wash Wash
4. God Son
5. It's Burke's Law
6. 10 Commandments
7. Blackhead Chineman
8. 30 Pieces of Silver
9. Hard Man Fe Dead
10. Earthquake
11. Judge Dread
12. Ghost Dance
13. Take it Easy
14. Too Hot
15. My Girl
16. This is a Hold Up
17. Shaking Up Orange Street
18. Big Five
19. Rough Rider
20. Wreck a Pum Pum
21. Julie On My Mind
22. Pharaoh House Crash
23. Tie the Donkey's Tail
24. Finger

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The Specials - More Specials

More Specials is the second album released by the 1980's 2 tone band The Specials. This album though often overlooked by many contains some great tracks from a cover of the classic Enjoy Yourself (It's Later Than You Think) to Rat Race which comments on the often dull and fruitless work environment of the typical person. Personal favorites on this album are Stereotype and International Jet Set. Stereotype has a very dark and eerie sound and was written encouraging youth to not fall prey to the pressures of drug use. International Jet Set a mostly instrumental song was supposedly written by the band after their less than successful first US tour. Overall this is a great album that I would really recommend to anyone who enjoys really anything from ska to jazz and I might even say rock and pop music.


   
    1 Enjoy Yourself (It's Later Than You Think)
    2 Man at C&A
    3 Hey, Little Rich Girl
    4 Do Nothing
    5 Pearl's Cafe
    6 Sock It to 'em J.B.
    7 Stereotypes / Stereotypes, Part 2
    8 Holiday Fortnight
    9 I Can't Stand It
    10 International Jet Set
    11 Enjoy Yourself (reprise)

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Jackie Mittoo - Last Train to Skaville

Jackie Mittoo one of the most influential and one of the greatest musician to come out of the Jamaican music scene of the 1960's. His instrumental songs would lay the foundation for much of the work that later artists would produce. This album Last Train To Skaville has some great tunes including a Jamaican take on the James Bond theme song and the epic Ska-Culation. If you like reggae, ska, jazz, or just plain good music than this is definitely an album you want to check out.

1. Train To Skaville
2. James Bond
3. Voodoo Moon
4. Ska Shuffle
5. Take Ten
6. Chicken and Booze
7. Honey Pot
8. Mr. Flint
9. Dr. Ring Ding
10. Got My Boogaloo
11. From Russia With Love
12. Ska-culation
13. Home Made
14. Sufferers Choice
15. One Stop
16. Hot and Cold
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The Clash Vanilla Tapes

The legendary Vanilla Tapes are a series of demos by The Clash that were what for the most part would become the famous London Calling album. These demos however for a long time were thought to have completely vanished. The story goes that Clash roadie Johnny Green lost the tapes while on the London Underground and it was not until 2004 that the tapes would resurface when Mick Jones found another copy of them. I recommend these to any Clash fan as they are a great insight into the band. Everything from the cover of Sonny Okosun's Fire in Soweto to the rough versions of classic songs like London Calling and Guns of Brixton.

 1         Hateful           
2         Rudie Can't Fail           
3         Paul's Tune           
4         I'm Not Down           
5         4 Horsemen           
6         Koka Kola, Advertising & Cocaine           
7         Death Or Glory           
8         Lover's Rock           
9         Lonesome Me           
10         The Police Walked In 4 Jazz           
11         Lost In The Supermarket           
12         Up-Toon (Instrumental)           
13         Walking The Slidewalk           
14         Where You Gonna Go (Soweto)       
15         The Man In Me           
16         Remote Control           
17         Working And Waiting           
18         Heart & Mind           
19         Brand New Cadillac       
20         London Calling           
21         Revolution Rock
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Have A Reggae Christmas

 Wishing everybody a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year with a compilation that I put together of reggae, ska, and rocksteady Christmas songs

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Kortatu Azken Guda Dantza

This is the last album of the Basque ska/punk group Kortatu recorded live in 1988. It is a great album with very many politically charged songs. Something really worth checking out for anyone who likes punk or ska music.

1.      After-boltxebike

2.      Oker nago

3.      Etxerat!

4.      Equilibrio

5.      Mr. Snoid entre sus amigos los humanos

6.      La línea de frente

7.      Gernika 37-87

8.      Makurtu gabe

9.      Hotel Monbar

10.  Sospechosos

11.  A la calle

12.  La familia Iskariote

13. Desmond Tutu

14.  Platinozko sudurrak

15.  Aizkolari

16.  Jimmi Jazz

17.  Denboraren Menpe

18.  Zu atrapatu arte

19.  Tatuado

20.  Nicaragua sandinista

21.  Hay algo aquí que va mal

22.  A.E.K.ko beteranoak

23.  Jaungoikoa eta Lege Zaharra

24.  El último ska

25.  Kolpez kolpe

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