How a musician used ska to fight racism and apartheid
In short: Jerry Dammers didn't just play music; he engineered a cultural movement. By blending Jamaican ska with punk energy and retro mod fashion, he created a multi-racial sound that challenged the social divisions of 1970s Britain and became a global anthem for freedom.
Born in South India in 1955, Jerry Dammers became a central figure in the ska revival through his formation of the Coventry-based band The Specials. His vision was to fuse reggae with punk, creating a unique sound that broke traditional genre boundaries. Beyond the music, Dammers sought to use his platform for social change, intentionally selecting a multi-racial lineup for The Specials to integrate white and black musicians at a time when the two groups often played distinct genres. His musical journey began with influences from 1960s groups like The Who and the Kinks. He even studied art at Coventry's Lanchester Polytechnic before his professional career took off.
Dammers founded 2 Tone Records, a label that acted as a bulwark against the rise of the National Front and celebrated racial unity. The label was instrumental in the ska revival of the late 1970s and 1980s, launching successful acts like Madness, The Beat, and The Selecter. While the label faced financial struggles—nearly collapsing due to the costs of releasing Special AKA albums—it achieved massive international success with the single "Free Nelson Mandela." The label's iconic visual identity featured a distinctive man in a suit. This specific graphic was inspired by a photograph of the reggae artist Peter Tosh.
That single, released under the name Special AKA, became a powerful anthem for the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa. The Guardian hailed the track as among the most powerful protest anthems ever recorded. Dammers' dedication to such issues persisted via the Red Wedge tour and Artists Against Apartheid, resulting in a 2014 South African national award for his human rights work. He also helped organise the 1985 'Starvation' single to support African famine relief. This project featured various artists including UB40 and Madness.
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