Ska is to calypso, mento, (roots) reggae and rocksteady what bossa nova is to samba – only the other way around.
There, I said it – shoot me! :P
Both ska and bossa when you listen to them a mix between jazz, rhythm'n'blues and the local music. I think good old ska deserves to be listened to just the same way as jazz.
About it being "other way around" – well, bossa nova originated from samba, while ska existed before reggae. Actually rocksteady and a bit later on even reggae developed from ska!
I dunno what day it is, and it's probably nothing to do with ska in any way – but who cares! Ska's cool. Period. At least in my world :P
Oh, and what I'm talking about is the real early 1960s deal here – not the later two-tone or ska-core! (Although I'd probably be the last to say anything against the Madness, the Specials, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones et sim.)
Next time (maybe): wonders of dub
hook out → just finished playing PlaneShift for today, writing some e-mails and listening to – yea, you guessed it, it's early early ska! – the Skatalites.