The Skatalites

2026 represents over 60 YEARS of original ska with The Skatalites!! The original members played on hundreds of recording sessions before forming the band in 1964. Backing most of the vocalists in Jamaica at that time, including Bob Marley, Toots and The Maytals, Jimmy Cliff, Alton Ellis, Ken Boothe, and many more. The Skatalites secured their place in music history early on. After disbanding in 1965, the individual members continued playing in various groups as the music evolved from ska to rocksteady to reggae. In 1983, The Skatalites reunited to play Reggae Sunsplash in Montego Bay and subsequently in London at The Crystal Palace for the U.K version of The Sunsplash event. A few years later they began emigrating to the U.S.A., and in 1986, the first US shows began at The Village Gate in NYC. The band supported Bunny Wailer on The Liberation Tour in 1989 and followed it up in 1990, embarking on their first-ever headline tour of the U.S.A. The Skatalites have not stopped touring the world ever since. Their unique, infectious brand of authentic Jamaican ska excites audiences of all ages across the globe year after year.