Greater than a band, the Skatalites were and are an institution, an aggregation of top-notch musicians who didn't merely define the sound of Jamaica, they were the sound of Jamaica across the 60s.

As first wave forefathers, they defined the sound that would become ska, rocksteady, reggae, and the like. Taking their native Jamaica and the surrounding islands by storm, their sound moved with the Caribbean people and found root the world over. The influence of The Skatalites can be felt in second wave bands like The Specials, The English Beat, Bad Manners, and third wavers like Reel Big Fish. Half a century into their career, The Skatalites bring the same fire that’s always drawn audiences to them: up-tempo, explosive, and tight.