Ottawa Ska Fest 2016 took place at House of Targ this weekend.
The two-day event consisted of a ska punk night on Sept. 23, followed by a “trad,” or traditional ska night on Sept. 24.
Ska music is a genre of fast-paced music with a strong beat. It originated in Jamaica in the 1960s and was the predecessor to rocksteady and reggae music.
“I wanted to showcase the diversity of ska this year so I did two themed nights with five bands each night, said Darren Drouin, a Ska Fest organizer and member of the Sentries.
Night one featured ska punk bands like Taco Bandits and Suits N’ Toques.
“It was incredible, the night was a sellout,” Drouin said.
Ska Fest attendee and Carleton student Nicole Faria said she is a regular at House of Targ, and attended Ska Fest on the first night.
“They’ve really brought some amazing acts, and the DJs are spinning some really cool first wave and third wave ska,” Faria added.
Chris Ferrante, Suits N’ Toques’s singer, said via Facebook that the night was fantastic for the band.
“We thought last year was good, but this year very well may have been better!” Ferrante said. “[The] crowd was crazy energetic, and all the bands our night played super entertaining sets.”
The second night featured more traditional ska bands like The Sentries from Ottawa, and Sound One from Toronto.
“The [second] night was a near sell-out making this year’s Ska Fest a massive success,” Drouin said. “This is the first Ottawa Ska Fest I’ve organized completely on my own, but I have helped with the Ottawa Ska Fest since the first time it happened at the Bronson Centre in 2006.”
He added he became seriously involved in the organization and running of the festival for the first time in 2015.
“The whole idea for these ska nights and Ska Fests has always just been a love of Jamaican music,” Drouin said.
He added he and his friends realized early on that the best way to bring ska music to Ottawa was to organize events and book the bands themselves.
“[House of Targ] had just opened and we convinced them to allow us to put on a Ska Fest,” Drouin said. “We had [bands] the Beatdown, Cardboard Crowns and more and it was a massive success.”
According to Drouin, that success allowed him to help organize a regular ska night at House of Targ called Voice of the People on the last Saturday of the month.
Faria said she would definitely support another Ska Fest, and she regularly attends the monthly Voice of the People concerts.
“It’s my fifth time at a ska concert here,” Faria said.
Drouin said the bands’ enthusiasm is key to the success of the festival.
“To me there is no greater thrill than seeing a band you love play their hearts out on a live stage,” Drouin said.
“As long as the community supports Ska Fest, I will continue to work hard and bring more ska to the city,” Drouin said. “There will definitely be a Ska Fest next year and hopefully for years to come.”
