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Byron Lee and the Dragonaires

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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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Audio

Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Jamaica Ska

YOUTUBE · rights discovery only · performs

Public youtube upload; embedded as a discovery-only reference pending editorial review.

View transcript · 34 lines

Automatic captions — a machine draft pending editorial review.

  1. 0:02[Music]
  2. 0:17not many people can chaa cha not
  3. 0:22not many people can chaa cha not everybody can do
  4. 0:24everybody can do
  5. 0:24everybody can do the what everybody can do it's a dance
  6. 0:30the what everybody can do it's a dance
  7. 0:30the what everybody can do it's a dance you can't resist SK
  8. 0:36[Music]
  9. 0:40SK now everybody can do the you dance
  10. 0:47SK now everybody can do the you dance like this now bow your
  11. 0:51like this now bow your
  12. 0:51like this now bow your heads swing your
  13. 0:55arms shake your
  14. 0:58arms shake your head now do a
  15. 1:09[Music]
  16. 1:28dip
  17. 1:29dip [Music]
  18. 1:35[Music]
  19. 1:35[Music] many
  20. 1:38people not
  21. 1:40people not everybody do the
  22. 1:42everybody do the
  23. 1:42everybody do the twist but everybody can do the it's a
  24. 1:47twist but everybody can do the it's a
  25. 1:48twist but everybody can do the it's a new
  26. 1:58dance
  27. 2:18coming
  28. 2:22up
  29. 2:25up sign
  30. 2:28up sign up
  31. 2:30up
  32. 2:30up uh uh uh uh uh
  33. 2:34uh uh uh uh uh
  34. 2:34uh uh uh uh uh uh
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Debate & reception

How people argued about the music — praise, criticism and public debate. See all debate & reception →

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