SKA WITH LAUREL by LAUREL AITKEN

It is not without reason that during his lifetime Laurel Aitken acquired the mantles of ‘The Godfather of Ska’ and ‘The High Priest of Reggae’, for he was true pioneer of the modern Jamaican music industry whose works helped shape the sound of Reggae. His breakthrough came in 1957 when, after making his name on the talent show circuit he recorded a series of hugely popular discs for pioneering producer, Dada Tuari. By the early sixties he was Jamaica’s most popular artiste, recording in variety of styles from Calypso and Mento to the local Blues or Boogie Beat, an early form of Ska. In 1960, he relocated to the UK where over the next 45 years he continued to record for an array of labels including Blue Beat, Pama and Trojan, remaining a hugely popular figure on the European Ska scene up until his untimely death in 2005 following a heart attack.