The Skatalites

Perpignan-based ska band SKAMANIANS have announced four UK festival shows this summer, including appearances at One Love, BoomTown Fair, Beautiful Days and the Folkestone Ska Splash.

Jamaican saxophonist, flautist and all-round roots reggae musician Cedric Brooks has passed away at the age of 70.

After falling ill several years ago, Brooks finally died on 3 May of cardiac arrest at the New York Hospital in Queens, New York.

The Alpha Boys School pupil started his music career in the late 1960s as a studio musician, playing on songs such as BURNING SPEAR's "Door Peep", and was also was a member of THE SKATALITES.

The line-up for Sheffield’s United Colours Of Music Festival at the Don Valley Bowl can now be revealed including headliners UB40 and THE SKATALITES.

The organisers behind Beautiful Days have announced the initial acts for the 2013 festival including THE SKATALITES, BABYLON CIRCUS and THE SELECTER.

Beautiful Days is the LEVELLERS’ annual 15,000 capacity weekend camping festival which started in 2003. 

The organisers of Folkestone Ska Splash have confirmed the line-up of artists for the 2013 event including THE SKATALITES, THE BEAT and THE SELECTER.

North London reggae production team MAFIA & FLUXY have released their “21 tune salute” to the late SKATALITES founding member JACKIE MITTOO.

The funeral for Lloyd George Brevett, a founding member of seminal Jamaican ska band THE SKATALITES, took place at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona Chapel yesterday (3 June).

The current line-up of legendary ska band THE SKATALITES performed live in Bristol last night (16 May) at the Trinity Centre, Lawrence Hill. 

Check out the tracks "Occupation" and “Simmer Down” below.

The pioneering ska group are out on the road celebrating the 50th anniversary of Jamaican independence and their own 48th anniversary of being a band.

Lloyd Brevett, a founding member of Jamaican ska band THE SKATALITES, has died at the Andrews Memorial Hospital aged 80.

Lloyd Brevett, the original bass player of seminal ska band THE SKATALITES, is in hospital in Jamaica after suffering a series of seizures and a stroke two weeks ago.

A close family friend told the Jamaica Observer the 80-year-old was in a "critical, but stable condition" in a St Andrew hospital.

Lester Sterling’s 2012 line up of THE SKATALITES will be hitting British cities this spring, kicking off in Bournemouth on the 21 May and winding up in Glasgow on 30 May.

The full UK tour includes the following dates:

Jamaican ska legends THE SKATALITES have announced a run of UK tour dates later this summer celebrating the band’s 48th year.

The dates are:

Top reggae, dub, dancehall and ska artists will perform on the UK's biggest reggae stage this year at the BoomTown festival.

MOBO award winner ALBOROSIE, Jamaican Godfathers of ska THE SKATALITES and Jamaica's number one female reggae artist TANYA STEPHENS are among the latest additions.

British DJ DAVID RODIGAN has delivered the second part of his new summer reggae music series on BBC Radio 2.

This week RODIGAN previewed the new album from Jamaican singer ETANA, as well as a 60s ska blast from THE SKATALITES and the original reggae version of “The Rivers of Babylon” from THE MELODIANS.

You can listen to the full episode on the BBC website.

Here’s the full play list:

Former Jamaican prime minister P J Patterson has paid tribute to LLOYD KNIBB who died from liver cancer earlier this month.

AFRO-JAMAICAN RHYTHM founder Carlos Malcolm has paid tribute to Lloyd Knibb, the legendary Jamaican drummer from THE SKATALITES, who died last week.