The term 'PRECURSOR OF ROCKSTEADY' can be summarized as SKA, a three letter word. SKA is a musical genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to Rocksteady, which emerged in the mid-1960s. It is a combination of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. SKA incorporates elements of traditional African music, Latin American music, and European popular music. It is characterized by a walking bass line, accented guitar or piano rhythms on the offbeat, and a drum pattern emphasizing the third beat of the bar.