The Skatalites

The Skatalites

The Skatalites are a Jamaican band that specializes in the genres of ska, reggae, rocksteady, and ska jazz. The group was founded by Tommy McCook, Rolando Alphonso, and Lester Sterling, Lloyd Brevett, Lloyd Knibb, Don Drummond, Jah Jerry Haynes, Jackie Mittoo, Jackie Opel and Johnny Moore.  They started playing together in 1955. In 1964 the group recorded and released their first LP called Ska Authentic and are known as the creators of the ska genre. They then went on tour around Jamaica and played with such acts such as Delroy Wilson, Desmond Dekker, The Wailers, and Lee Perry.

The group took a break from playing together in 1969 and then reunited in 1974. That year they released an album called African Roots. In 1983 they played the Reggae Sunsplash festival in Montego Bay and released a live album of the show called Stretching Out. In 2016 they released a new album called Platinum Ska and embarked on a tour of the U.S.

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