The term REGGAE'S FORERUNNER can be solved by the three letter word SKA. Ska is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to reggae music. It combines elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walking bass line, accentuated guitar or piano rhythms on the offbeat, and a drum pattern with cross-stick snare.