CPI Archive 2009: The Skazz the limit: As the Jamaican rhythms continue to rise in Doonbeg, Andrew Hamilton chats to Skazz saxophone player Philippa Siegrist about bringing the Ska back out west.
THEY always said that Clare was the last county before the Americas. While that may always have seemed like a ridiculous notion, a quick survey of the musicians practicing in the county just now would seem to tell a different story. Let’s do a quick head count, shall we? The number of Raggae and Ska bands currently playing throughout the island of Ireland amounts to just two. So with Lahinch band Serious Mischief flying the flag for Raggae and Doonbeg outfit Skazz beginning to dip their feet in the world of Ska - it would seem that, when it comes to the music of the Caribbean, the people of Clare have it all sown up. Of course when it comes to Ska the important first question to ask is what brand of Ska. For Skazz, the chosen medicine is not the English 2 Tone Ska the late 1970s or the third wave movement of the 1980s. In keeping with their jazz roots, Skazz have chosen the original Jamaican scene Ska of the 1960’s - when Caribbean mento and calypso first met American jazz and rhythm and blues. "We used to have the Doonbeg Swing and Jazz band which was going along quite well. But one of the band members at the time had played in a Ska band in Holland so he suggested one day at practice that we try something different. So we gave it a go and it was great. It was something new to all of us but it was really fun, so eventually we decided to go along with that,” said Philippa.
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