From its origin in Jamaica in the late '50s, ska has led interesting and unlikely life.The cheery pop style, inspired by American R&B and known for its jittery off-kilter rhythms has and odd habit of going out of fashion, only to return again in another country and a new form. Nearly every form

The Internet also takes the in-person collectivity out of this process. But maybe that's blessing in disguise. Maybe it will stave off an (inevitably ugly) fourth wave of ska. With file sharing, YouTube, and countless sites devoted to music on the Web, none of that music-related social activity is

Ska has had a funny career as a genre. Since its invention in Jamaica in the late '50s, the soulful R&B-inspired dance music has fallen in and out of favor. In the '80s in England two-tone ska bands were the catchy darlings of the new wave scene and a musical symbol of racial...

Don't you feel like lately there's a secret global contest running for which dark, sultry female vocalist of the many popping up in the dance-indie world will be crowned the next Beth Gibbons? I do. And so I officially (secretly) nominate Rebeka for her 2011 rendition of the Portishead vocalist's

We don’t really know what PUi means or why the “U” is capitalized. But we do know that the New York-based gypsy metal warrior-lookalikes put on a really riveting show! Between a snake charming belly dancer, intimidating abs, hefty body paint, and a unique Arabic folk metal sound, it’s no surprise

We're starting to think that ska is making a comeback. Release those repressed memories of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Mustard Plug, and whatever else traumatized you in the '90s. Artists like the soulful and super slick Jaqee are giving us the feeling that if there is a new wave of ska coming it

La Maldita Vecindad y los Hijos de Quinto Patio (translation: "the damned neighborhood and the sons of the fifth patio") confounded Mexico when they first hit the music scene in the 1980s. They had a long name (some shortened it to La Maldita). They played a mishmash of punk, ska, traditional

Jamaica is known for the endlessly creative permutations of its music, from ska to dub to dancehall. But there are things about the Island's musical culture that remain hidden. For instance, American country music is way popular there and one of its finest young and up-and-coming music groups is a

Kaizers Orchestra isn’t an orchestra in the conventional way. There are no strings and no sweeping movements, but their music is rich and complex enough to merit a conductor if they wanted one. With edgy alt rock riffs, a few ska-inspired horns, and the occasional British invasion synth, these

Los Fabulosos Cadillacs is a Latin-American rock and pop band from Buenos Aires, Argentina. The band’s sound is a mix of rock, ska, jazz, salsa, folk, rap and big band. ...

A descendant of slaves from Angola, Fidel Nadal started making music in the middle 80’s--when he was listening to singers such as Peter Tosh, Bob Marley, Skatalites amongst others.He since formed Todos Tus Muertos--a band that mixed reggae,ska and punk--and left in 2000 to launch a solo career as a

Quirky Chilean dance pop provocateur Dadalú has released "No Sé Empezar," off her debut full-length Periodo, as a free single from Michitarex Records. Her eclectic influences range from jazz to ska to hip hop and on this single she's showing off the hip hop side of her inspiration. Yep, Dadalú

Israeli gypsy-punk rockers Balkan Beat Box assault your speakers with their infectious ska-inspired “War Again." The official video is an animated adventure, as the band members face off against a war mogul who is dead set on stopping their revolutionary anthem. ...

Though Jamaica was dealt a dance-craving crowd at Webster Hall at CMJ Music Marathon, and though the band was forced to use a replacement bassist (Florent Lyonnet was absent), the rock trio still managed to put on an upbeat, picture-worthy show in New York. The group, formerly known as Poney

When you hear about a band escaping political repression to make their music, it raises expectations for their debut in way that isn't really fair. In the case of Iran's The Yellow Dogs, who resettled Brooklyn because rock music is illegal at home, it doesn't really matter, because their debut EP

So you think they're called Jamaica because of one wild, unforgettable night in Kingston? Wrong. Turns out coming up with the name was a little more calculated for this French duo -- check out Antoine Hilaire breaking down the ingredients vital to rock band success. Of course, the country of

In her second album Beautiful Imperfections, Nigerian singer Aṣa shifts from the political charge of her debut hits “Jailer” and “Fire On the Mountain,” to songs of nostalgic romance like “Be My Man” and "Dreamer Girl.” In this exclusive set of performances for MTV Iggy, Aṣa’s live appeal is even

Arizona rapper Isaiah Toothtaker is open about a lot of things -- his assault conviction, his father who was shot and killed by police when he was 22, his tattoo parlor in Tuscon, Arizona -- but you won't hear him blab too much about his half-Mexican and half-Pasqua Yaqui tribe background.

There'll be no gin and juice in The Hague this summer. Rapper Snoop Dogg was banned from the Netherland's annual Parkpop concert. Officials said they wanted to keep things "open and friendly," Billboard reports. Some speculate that Snoop is being punished for his very public advocacy of a certain

Hollie Cook's self-titled debut solo album kicks off with "Milk and Honey," the slow-burning single she did with producer Prince Fatty (AKA Mike Pelanconi). It's a fitting start, since the rest of the album is a continuation of that fruitful collaboration. Cook shares a songwriting credit with

Stay current on new Madonna Music Videos, News, Photos, Ringtones, Tour Dates, Lyrics, and more on MTV.com.

Stay current on new Madonna Music Videos, News, Photos, Ringtones, Tour Dates, Lyrics, and more on MTV.com.

Track listing, videos, audio & lyrics of the album Swinging the Blues Dancing the Ska by Jools Holland on mtv.com