One of Jamaican music's most influential groups, The Skatalites were key figures in the development of the ska movement. Founded in 1955 as a ten-piece jazz band, the original lineup boasted several stellar musicians including Don Drummond, Tommy McCook, and Rolando Alphonso. Though not the first to transform mento and R&B into ska, the band enjoyed great success with the genre, both with their own recordings and with artists like Prince Buster, Duke Reid, and Vincent Chin. Those early sides would lead their homeland into its reggae heyday, and keep the band active well into the 21st century.