Music The History of Ska

Long ago in a dance hall far, far away, a new and creative sound was born in Jamacia. This sound would encompass all of the components of the music that was being played in dance halls at the time - a mixture of mento, R&B, jazz, and boogie-woogie, combined into a single new form.
This new music that was created was said to have had the "ya-ya" sound. Also, there was a buzzword called "Skavoovie" being used to greet the supporters of the "Coxsone Downbeat." The music took on an abbreviation of that buzzword and this is how "Ska" was born.

 

and as I recall, ska predates raggae, raggae being born when someone slowed down ska a bit.