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DictionaryskaJamaican music
noun

ska

SKAH/skɑː/

A style of Jamaican popular music with offbeat rhythms that preceded reggae.

The band plays ska with bright horns and offbeat rhythms.

A modern ska duo rehearses: a guitarist plays a short, clipped upstroke while a drummer keeps time, suggesting the style’s buoyant offbeat rhythm through coordinated playing.
Etymology

Ska is recorded as a Jamaican word naming the music style, but its origin is unknown. No historical root meaning can securely explain the name.

In context

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon3:21
do you remember the early '90s, like a little ska thing happening?
Fred Armisen Impersonates Each Decade of Punk Music | The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

More examples

  • She listens to ska on her way to work.
  • Early Jamaican ska helped pave the way for reggae.
  • The guitarist's offbeat chords give this ska song its bounce.