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Luis P. Correa (King Steady Beat), owner of Steady Beat Recordings and Kathryn (Blue) Aguirre, former band member of the 90s Los Angeles ska band, Mobtown, and owner of 150 Productions had conversations about the L.A. ska scene in late 2019. They discussed the idea of creating a documentary film to finally capture a genuine account of this decade from quintessentially a Los Angeles based Steady Beat Recordings perspective.
Flash forward to 2020, during the global COVID-19 pandemic. With everyone having copious amounts of time from being locked inside their homes, Luis and Kathryn picked up the idea once more. After collaborating with many others present and thriving in the L.A. Ska scene during that era, the result is A Steady Beat - Chronicles of the Los Angeles 90s Ska Scene.
A Steady Beat documents a gray area gap period commonly referenced as the “Third Wave” era in the Ska community. Though there is debate over how the artists featured in this film fit under that mainstream umbrella in sound, the period, not the music, can be classified as 3rd wave. The difference is the rear-view mirror approach to the music which arguably would not have happened without the bands, but also, without The Blackpool and Steady Beat Recordings there would have been a definite vacuum. The L.A. Ska scene is notorious among scenes for its sights, sounds, and fury. And now through the gift of technology & social media can we invite the world in for a closer look.
We invite you to experience never before seen footage, photos, stories and interviews with Los Angeles’ heavy-weight bands and performers from over 30 years ago. Among them: Hepcat, Jump with Joey, Ocean 11, Mobtown, Yeska, The Allentons, See Spot, The Dynamics and L.A. 's first all-female ska band, The Shantees. Along with out-of-town honorary L.A. bands; The Debonaires, Los Hooligans, Unsteady, King Willy, and Mento Buru. Legendary promoters and DJs History of L.A. Ska’s very own Eric Kohler & Junor Francis, Ted Morris of Rude Review, Mark Morales of Angel City Records and other movers and shakers will share their insight and experiences as well.
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One way or one word I would like to describe 90’s ska in L.A. is…Epic - Luis P. Correa.
Epic... that sums up how important and exciting the L.A. Ska scene was for those of us who lived it. For many of us it was the time of our lives! It was the time of our youth, filled with unforgettable memories, friendships, and stories all from people passionate about Jamaican music.
During the 1990s, on the one hand, Ska music was widely unknown to the listening public and had finally gotten national airplay. On the other hand, the Pop/3rd Wave Ska presented on mainstream media was sonically worlds apart from what had long been developing in Los Angeles during that time. Our scene was more than Black/White… it was also Brown… the gray area in-between. That feature broke up the black/white binary all too common in other scenes; offering us a new view into spaces of subcultural expression where there was previously no script. Out of this grew a love and connection to Jamaican music in lyric and sound so deep that today it still vibrantly thrives. Situationally in this gray area emerged a deep affinity to holding to tradition.
As other mainstream-pointed acts went further away from the Jamaican source of origin and experimented with genre mashups, bands in L.A. were going to the archives of the originators of the music as bedrock for creativity, while keeping as close to sounding as if it came from Jamaica as possible. These musicians actively educated themselves having the privilege of sharing their progress with droves of ska fans hungry for more!
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If your idea of ska from the 90’s is hawaiian shirts and ska punk… there’s a story that you need to hear about the L.A. scene- about the sophistication of the sound, sophistication of the fashion and just the tightness of the scene out here and you need to check out this project. - Ted Morris, (host of 90’s Rude Review radio show, founding member of the Dynamics, long time DJ).
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A Steady Beat Documentary Film Poster by Krees Borbon
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A Steady Beat is a 3-part feature length documentary film project produced by 150 Productions in association with Steady Beat Recordings. Our film project is funded through our executive producers, private donors & crowdfunding through Indiegogo. The documentary focuses on the 1990s Los Angeles Ska scene, a unique subculture in Los Angeles through the musical influences of Steady Beat Recordings bands with Luis P. Correa at the helm; organizing events, arranging tours, shows, and capturing bands on record. It is told through the perspective of many who were active in the Los Angeles ska scene during its 1989-1999 period.
Our purpose is to provide you an inside look into what made this decade and scene legendary… and infamous! Our goal is to illuminate and celebrate the origins of Steady Beat Recordings and to highlight the Los Angeles 90s ska culture. A visual account of Steady Beat Recordings' impact, the people, bands, DJs and promoters, fans and supporters that thrived and shaped this decade of ska and went against the grain following the legacy of early Jamaican music.
A Steady Beat is directed by Kathryn Aguirre. Lewis De La Cruz, 150 Productions’ co-founder, leads his team under our cinematography department.
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A Steady Beat is currently in its pre-production stage. We are attempting to collect enough funds through investors and various perks we offer through our indiegogo platform to help fund this project to completion.
We are providing unique promotions in exchange for your kind and generous support. IMDb credits and a thank you on screen for all who donate, patches and buttons, t-shirts, posters, digital & Blu-ray pre-order copy of the film, and more. Please click on the perks to see what is offered under each of our Steady Beat Recordings themed categories. There are several levels & amounts to choose from. If you're not interested in any of the perks, and would like to just donate to the cause, any contribution amount helps.
THE PRODUCERS
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Luis P. Correa
Luis P. Correa, one of our film producers and owner/founder of Steady Beat Recordings, has been a staple of the Los Angeles revival Ska Scene for over 25 years. Starting off with The Blackpool in 1992, he organized local shows for unsigned, independent ska artists. He planted roots at The Hong Kong Cafe, which became known as “the place” for Ska in Los Angeles in the early 1990’s. As a sound engineer, he discovered talent he felt needed to be heard by the masses. In doing so, Steady Beat Recordings was born and these artists were able to get their music produced onto vinyl.
Luis went on to manage, produce and tour with many of the acts on Steady Beat Recordings. The labels’ retro look and sound helped it gain its popularity and led to releases as far away as Myanmar, and as close as Mexico. Early Steady Beat Recordings releases gave Mexico its ska kickstart. He was responsible for the first concert on the Sunset Strip that incorporated the famous The Whisky A Go-Go and The Roxy for one night called The Intensified West Coast Ska Festival. It was an incredible scene with 18 bands at 2 clubs, side by side, for one price.
In 2008, after a bit of a hiatus and with the general public’s new-found interest in vinyl records, Luis started producing again. He produced such artists as The Delirians, The Steady 45s, Los Bullets, JQ, Barrio Joyride, Thee Commons, The Altons, Matamoska!, Very Be Careful and many others. During this time, he also founded and co-founded the clubs Rockers on the Waterfront, Barrio Funky, Intensified, Babalu to Boogaloo, and many others to promote the varied musical talents surrounding him. In 2017, Luis P. Correa was an important member of the History of Ska panel discussions, produced by Eric Kohler and Junor Francis at the famous Grammy Museum
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Kathryn G. Aguirre
Our female Film Producer, Writer & Director, Kathryn Aguirre, manages the creative aspects of our film production and project. She oversees the film’s artistic vibe- directing, collaborating and working with each department in assembling the film from start to finish. She, along with each department, her fantastic team of writers, and talented film crew- sets the tone of the film.
During the early 1990s, Kathryn (then nicknamed “Blue”) was a former member of Los Angeles local ska band Mobtown. The band thrived for many years in the ska scene, released 2 full albums, The Rhythm of Ska on Steady Beat Recordings, then a few years later, Cactus Juice on Moon Records. The band later disbanded in 1999. She has since then joined them on stage for two reunions in Las Vegas, Nevada during the 2000 era. She was present as a musician, participant and supporter of the Los Angeles Ska Scene since the early 90's period.
In more recent years, Kathryn works as a Medical Professor & Curriculum Designer. By dusk, an Entertainment Freelancer- acquiring new skills and fine tuning her existing talents in the industry, primarily in music and film. She has helped produce several independent short films, music videos, and worked on various film sets as a Producer, Line Producer, Script Supervisor and Covid Compliance Officer. She is the founder of 150 Productions, a multimedia production company started in early 2018. Her widespread spectrum of skills has earned her multiple proficiencies across several industries.
IMDb link: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10177699/?ref_=nv_s...
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Lewis De La Cruz
Lewis De La Cruz, a fourteen year Navy Veteran who served in Afghanistan in 2008 as a Hospital Corpsman, is our talented Director of Photography. He leads our cinematography department and reigns chief over both the camera, and G&E department for our film. His main focus is to work closely with the Director and his crew to help deliver the artistic vision, and make technical decisions in order to help paint the film through the eyes of the Director.
Lewis has worked in the film industry for over 5 years. In that timeframe, he has worked alongside legendary cinematographers such as Dean Cundey (Halloween, Back to the Future, Jurassic Park, and more), and Alexander Yellen (Z Nation, Snakes on a Plane, etc). His cinematography work can be seen on Amazon Prime in films such as Death Haze, and Streets of the Dead. Along with his cinematography work, he has worked in several other departments as a Producer, Associate Producer, Director, Writer, Key Grip, Grip, Gaffer & First Assistant Camera. Notable short films he has worked on in the past are Wake Up, The Start of the End, Butchered, Mullet Girl, Satanan, The Moon the Bat & the Monster, and Sunday School.
Lewis is also the co-founder of 150 Productions, currently works as a freelance filmmaker and business owner.
IMDb link: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8731037/?ref_=fn_al...
ADDITIONAL WRITERS
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Eric Kohler
A Los Angeles native, Eric Kohler is a 25+ year music industry professional with a passion for Jamaican, Cuban and Soul music. In addition to specializing in marketing and brand partnerships for live events, Eric has experience in artist management, magazine publishing and radio programming. He was the co-founder of Reggae Nucleus Magazine, host of “The Havana-Kingston Connection” on K-JAZZ radio, and managed the careers of Ky-Mani Marley, TheAggrolites, Ras MG, The Lions, King Khan & The Shrines, and Penny Reel (many with co-manager Sean Heitkemper for The Rockery).
Eric alongside Junor Francis were responsible for pairing Jamaican music legends with local musicians for numerous historic concerts throughout California, including Derrick Morgan, Ken Boothe, Stranger Cole, Rico Rodriguez, Phyllis Dillon, Alton Ellis, and Monty Morris. Eric also co-produced concerts for the international disaster relief agency, Operation USA.
In 2017 and 2019, Eric curated a series of History of L.A. Ska panel discussions at the Grammy Museum. Most recently, this History of L.A. Ska platform that “celebrates, preserves and promotes Southern California’s ska, rocksteady and vintage reggae scene” developed into popular social media channels and podcast interview series that are produced by Rockery Radio.
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Junor Francis
Junor Francis has been working tirelessly to preserve and promote Jamaican music since arriving in New York (followed by Southern California) from his native Jamaica over 40 years ago. Junor has hosted “The Reggae Connection” on KSPC radio since 1987, “The Reggae Show” on KXLU since 1999, and “The Reggae Mix Show” on Radio Justice since 2019. He’s also the former co-host of both “The Sound Lab '' on HOT 92 Jamz and what was the daily “3 O’Clock Reggae Show” on KWIZ. Junor was a key contributor to Reggae Nucleus Magazine where he often wrote the cover stories and some of the publication’s most fascinating articles.
Junor’s contributions to the reggae and ska scene doesn’t stop there. He has become one of the most sought-after stage emcees at numerous concerts and festivals throughout California and Mexico, including Legends Festival, Sierra Nevada World Music Festival, Caribbean Sea Breeze Festival, Reggae On The Mountain, and some of the biggest shows at Dub Club.
As a promoter, Junor has helped bring Jamaica’s most significant ska, rocksteady and reggae legends to town, many of whom played his own SkaMania series. The Skatalites, Keith & Tex, Derrick Morgan, Stranger Cole, Ken Boothe, Rico Rodriguez, The Tennors, Pat Kelly, The Pioneers, The Melodians, The Clarendonians, Carlton & His Shoes, Norma Fraser, and Vernon Maytone, are among the talent he’s booked over the years and even befriended. With the support of friend Eric Kohler, they worked to pair these legends with Los Angeles’ finest musicians, which resulted in a winning combination. Junor also hosts the new History of L.A. Ska: One On One Sessions podcast interview series which celebrates the Southern California scene and beyond.
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Jeffrey Govan
Jeffrey “Free” Govan, lead singer turned bassist of the L.A. Ska band Mobtown who has performed with local acts Jim Dandy, Jackie Mendez, Thee Hurricanes, Angel City Records & L.A.’s foundational ska revival band, The Untouchables. He has toured with The English Beat, The Aggrolites, backed Jamaican artists Roy Ellis, Derrick Harriot, Roy Panton and Motown artists Brenda Holloway & The Marvelettes, as well as Soul Acts, The Coasters. Archie Bell and The Delfonics. He remains active in the scene performing, recording, and touring. His current project is The Freqtones, a Ska/Rocksteady band made up of members from Steady Beat bands, Mobtown, The Allentons, & Yeska.
Most of Jeffrey’s professional experience as a musician echoes his taste for 1960s and 1970s music and culture. The bass is his base for reanimating the feels and intricacies of music the world has almost forgotten. As a lifelong learner, he turned his years of education and writing into a freelance career in professional writing, consulting and editing.
Jeffrey has completed coursework for a Ph.D in American Studies at the University of Southern California (USC). His intended research focused on the interstitial spaces that challenge the black/white imagery representing race is Ska music in Los Angeles and the early connections between Jamaica and Mexico that make Ska resonate with Latinos who compromise a large majority of the participants in the L.A. Ska Scene.
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Ted Morris
Ted Morris, a longtime supporter of the Ska scene was the founder and host of the Rude Review radio show in Los Angeles from 1990-1995, during the rise of L.A.'s traditional ska scene and the regular DJ for early Blackpool and Steady Beat events. He was also the founder of The Ska's the Limit radio show in St. Louis, MO.
Ted was a founding member and manager for the Los Angeles-based ska/rocksteady band, The Dynamics and founding frontman for the Washington, D.C.-based band, Eastern Standard Time. His participation in the L.A. ska scene these days is as a club DJ, focusing on Jamaican music from the 1960s. He was one of the founding residents of the long-running Trojan Lounge and is a frequent guest DJ for The Rocksteady Lounge, Soulside, Swing Easy and other events in the region.
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Darrell Rubio
Darrell Rubio, owner of Stiff Dog Records and talented manager, promoter and distributor joined the ska scene in 1990 during high school and has seen many ska and punk bands over the last three decades both as a supporter, music collector and promoter. He joined the Steady Beat Recordings crew in 1995 as a gopher, worked ticket sales, promotion & distribution, worked as a stagehand and tour manager for numerous events as he launched his own record label, Stiff Dog Records.
He has managed several ska punk acts such as The Hippos, Melting Pot, and the Adjustments and facilitated several of their tours. Generic Skaca, Punk Goes Ska, The Hippos’ Forget the World, Melting Pot’s Polarities of Paradox, The Adjustments’ Everybody Must Be Cloned and A Little to the Left are compilations and albums released under the Stiff Dog record label.
Darrell made quite a name for himself in the Ska Punk community and has promoted a multitude of shows (both ska and ska punk) and booked bands such as Suicide Machines, Reel Big Fish, Save Ferris, Slapstick, Mealticket, Buck-O-Nine, Less than Jake, Aquabats, Millencollin, Janitors Against Apartheid and Mobtown. Several other smaller acts and releases have also been distributed through the Stiff Dog Records label for appeal to wider audiences.
