Ska Boom Stories - The Story of the very first American Reggae Band

Welcome to Ska Boom! Stories, which is the audio companion to my new book Ska Boom: An American Ska & Reggae Oral History now available for pre-sale through DiWulf Publishing.  The first 500 pre-orders get a rare 80 minute all USA ska mix CD courtesy of DJ Chuck Wren of Jump Up Records.  Click here to order: http://www.diwulf.com/booksThe release in the U.S. in early 1973 of 'The Harder They Come' -- a movie that required subtitles so that American audiences could follow the dialogue -- had an impact far beyond its modest take at the box office. While the film had a cultural impact and developed a strong cult following in the years following its release, it was the movie soundtrack which captured the hearts and minds of like-minded people across the country introducing reggae to a wider American audience. In fact, the movie can be credited with giving rise to the first American reggae band -- The Shakers – whose story opens Ska Boom. The Shakers were musical pioneers playing reggae when it was an odd, foreign sound to most Americans born and raised on rock and roll. The band's legacy, which is sadly unknown to most, includes being the first American reggae band ever signed to a major label in 1975. Please note: The music clips included in this podcast fall under the “Fair Use Doctrine” as defined by Section 107 of the Copyright Act. The law allows for use of music clips for purposes of criticism, comment, and news reporting.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Om Podcasten

Ska Boom - An American Ska & Reggae Podcast is hosted by Marc Wasserman, author of Ska Boom: An American Ska & Reggae Oral History published by DiWulf Publishing. Wasserman helped to found Bigger Thomas -- the first ska band from New Jersey -- in 1988 and had a front row seat to watch the growth of American ska. Ska Boom is the audio companion to the book, which tells the origin stories of 18 American ska and reggae bands and one national tour from the early 80s through the mid 90s that helped to give birth to and define a uniquely American version of ska and reggae. The podcast explores the impact of ska and reggae on popular music and features interviews with key ska and reggae musicians, audio documentaries about the history of ska and reggae and special episodes based on news and developments in the world of ska.