Stop This War!
There's a war goin' down betweek my brothers tonight,
I don't want no war goin' down tonight.
As any listener of ska knows, there’s three so-called "waves" to the music’s popularity. For those who need some clarification as to the waves, the first wave was in the early 60s, the second in the late 70s to the early 80s, and the third in the 90s. The first wave was the early development of the music, the first blending of jazz and calypso, and gave rise to such legends as the Skatalites and Prince Buster. The second wave was the music’s resurfacing in the UK after the rising popularity of reggae. Bands like the Specials, Madness and Bad Manners made their mark here. The third wave is a big mix of different styles of ska. And that’s where the problem for some listeners lies.
Our evolution now has gone the way of hate
A world evolved resolved into its stupid fate.
The "characteristic" third wave ska band blends the traditional ska guitar with a punk edge. Or they might add funk, or hard core. The point is, to be considered a third wave ska band, you often have to add something to the ska. Purists hate bands that try to push ska to the next level, who allow the music to evolve and change, to perhaps become more palatable to different listeners. Purists deny that bands like the Stubborn All Stars or Ocean 11 are part of the third wave. To them, these old-style bands are remnants from a better time.
All so different yeah, I say we're all the same
All caught, you know, in the division game.
Self destruction fast impending like a bullet.
No one can stop it, once it's fired, no one can control it.
The thing is, ska and punk both came from the same roots: they both came out of a sense of hopelessness and being jaded by the omnipotence of authority. People needed to rebel, and to find supporters. What better way to influence people than to use music?
A final word, wait it's not a call to action
We ain't no sect, we ain't no fucking faction.
Unity, Unity, you've heard it all before,
This time it's not exclusive we want to stop a war.
Thus, the combination of ska and punk as its own unique form of music was only natural. It was a method to draw people together. Punk was not about hatred, at any point. It was about bringing people together against hate. Ska, ever since its beginnings in Jamaica, was about unity, politically and culturally. But why is it that the ska purists, the trads, have to attack ska punk, and deny its musical value? Regardless of the musical genre, there has to be change, we can’t live in a vacuum. Why do they use their energy and passion to save ska from a false enemy, rather than true corruption: division.
Unity, as one, stand together,
Unity, evolution's gonna come!
By Alissa, italics from "Unity" by Operation Ivy
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