The Purdue University North Central Honors Program will present the lecture by Chesterton-based music journalist Heather Augustyn, "The Origins and Evolution of Ska--from Jamaica, to England, to the U.S. and the Rest of the World." on Monday, Feb. 17, from noon to 1 p.m. in Library-Science-Faculty Building Room 170A. The lecture is free and open to the public.
The musical genre of ska began in Jamaica in the 1950s, then traveled to England, in a moment of cultural mobility enabled by the legacy of British imperialism in Jamaica and then reached the U.S. in the 1980s. Augustyn's work traces this international flow of cultural materials, alongside the political, social and historical circumstances that made it possible.
Augustyn is the author of three well-reviewed books that approach the subject of ska using biography, oral history and cultural analysis: "Ska: an Oral History" (2010); "Don Drummond: The Genius and Tragedy of the World's Greatest Trombonist "(2013); and "Ska: The Rhythm of Liberation" (2013).
A well-regarded expert on Jamaican music, Augustyn has been an invited lecturer at the International Reggae Conference, and has hosted music programming on Chicago's National Public Radio station. A public intellectual, Augustyn's work is accessible to a broad audience and includes an entertaining blog exploring the cultural history of ska (skabook.com/foundationska/).
This lecture is hosted by PNC's Honors Program, which seeks to enhance the learning experiences of highly-motivated and academically-exceptional students. To obtain further information about the program or to apply, vist www.pnc.edu/honors or email honorsprogram@pnc.edu.