Heather Augustyn is the author of Ska: An Oral History and Don Drummond: The Genius and Tragedy of the World’s Greatest Trombonist. She is a newspaper reporter for the Times of Northwest Indiana, an elementary-school writing teacher, and she lives with her husband and two boys in northwest Indiana.
Ska music, often recognized as the precursor to reggae, originated
in Jamaica in the 1950s, achieved worldwide popularity in the ’70s
and ’80s, and remains influential today. This book thoroughly
covers the history of the bouncing rhythms of ska, with an eye
toward the social and political undertones of the music. Augustyn
has done a remarkable job with the narrative and shows that she has
a keen sense of what ska is really all about. The volume includes a
time line, a section of references and resources, and an index.
Recommended for most academic and public music collections.
*Booklist*
Ska: The Rhythm Of Liberation is a very serious study of the
upbeat, rhythm-based music that was born in Jamaica. While
other books have been written about the “2 Tone” movement that took
place in England in the late ’70′s, this is a much deeper, fact
finding volume that traces ska’s roots back to slavery. . . .This
painstakingly researched work deserves not only attention but a
seeking out by anyone who has an affinity and love of ska or a true
musicologist.
*Popdose*
Ska: The Rhythm of Liberation belongs in any popular music history
collection and considers the genre of ska and its evolution from
Afro-Caribbean roots to England and the U.S. Ska holds the roots of
reggae, punk, and pop music to its credit, and here is a history of
these roots, from ska's first emergence in Jamaica as a fusion form
to its evolution as a genre connecting countries. Ska reflected and
exposed social issues and it promoted unity: Ska: The Rhythm of
Liberation discusses important connections in the process of
showing how ska is linked to social issues. As such, it's a
recommendation for music and social issues shelves alike!
*Midwest Book Review*
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