ENTITY · GROUP
Byron Lee and the Dragonaires
Well supported
The band Byron Lee (1935-2008) formed in Kingston in 1950 and led for more than half a century. Uptown, professional and sharply dressed where most ska came from downtown studios, the Dragonaires appeared in Dr. No in 1962, played the Independence celebrations that year, and were sent to the 1964 New York World's Fair to present ska abroad. Lee bought the WIRL plant and rebuilt it as Dynamic Sounds, and from the 1970s turned the band increasingly towards carnival and soca.
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Debate & reception
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commentary
Ska as national sound and entertainment business
Ska can be read both as Independence-era cultural confidence and as a professional entertainment economy built by studios, bands and promoters.
Stance: national culture vs commercial infrastructure
