Ska Boom Tribute - Astro of UB40

Ska Boom Tribute - Astro of UB40

Author: Marc Wasserman November 12, 2021 Duration: 18:06
Welcome to a special edition of the Ska Boom podcast which is the audio companion to my book Ska Boom: An American Ska & Reggae Oral History. I was very sad to hear that Astro, the vocalist and DJ for UB40 and later the splinter group UB40 featuring Ali and Astro passed away at the age 64 on Saturday November 6th. This episode is a tribute to him and the iconic role he and UB40 have played in popularizing reggae around the world. Astro – born Terrence Wilson – got his nickname as a k...

Marc Wasserman has been living and breathing American ska since helping to found Bigger Thomas, New Jersey's first ska band, back in 1988. That front-row perspective to the scene's growth, combined with his work as an author of books like *Ska Boom: An American Ska & Reggae Oral History*, fuels this deeply personal Ska Boom-An American Ska & Reggae Podcast. Think of it as the audio companion to those written histories, but with the volume cranked up and the stories told in real voices. Each episode is built on conversations-sometimes with musicians you know, sometimes with the crucial behind-the-scenes figures you don't-that trace the unique and often overlooked American journey of these genres. You'll hear firsthand accounts that span from the early underground clubs to the mainstream explosions, discussions on the music's cultural impact, and analysis of the sounds that defined generations. It's a mix of history, commentary, and interview, all filtered through the experience of someone who wasn't just watching from the crowd but was actively helping to build the stage. The result is a podcast that feels less like a lecture and more like a series of late-night talks with the people who made the scene happen, preserving the energy and anecdotes that might otherwise be lost.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Ska Boom - An American Ska & Reggae Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Ska Boom Stories - Why isn't Fishbone in Ska Boom? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:20
Welcome to Ska Boom! Stories, which is the audio companion to my new book Ska Boom: An American Ska & Reggae Oral History now available for pre-sale through DiWulf Publishing. The first 500 pre-orders get a rare 80 minut…
Ska Boom Stories - Why is Clyde Grimes on the cover of Ska Boom? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:45
Welcome to Ska Boom! Stories, which is the audio companion to my new book Ska Boom: An American Ska & Reggae Oral History now available for pre-sale through DiWulf Publishing. Now that the book is finally finished and go…
Ska Boom Stories: Johnny Nash American Reggae Pioneer? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:08
Welcome to the first episode of Ska Boom Stories -- a new podcast series that will highlight stories, anecdotes and gossip taken from all 19 chapters of Ska Boom! An American Ska & Reggae Oral History that is now availab…