The Skatalites — April 25 at Belly Up Tavern, $18 / 21+

A Jamaican institution of dance music in the mid-’60s, the Skatalites turned the fuzzy radio boogie-woogie broadcast from New Orleans into shuffling ska; this was the birth of reggae music, even if nobody knew it then. Having lived and played through the entire history of the murderous Jamaican music scene is no small feat (see Messrs. Marley and Tosh) — most of the members of the original band are dead. Today, only two of 11 original members still tour: Lloyd Knibb (drums) and Lester Sterling (horns), but the newer members are some of the best session men in Jamaica. Though flash-in-the-pan faux-reggae toasters like Matisyahu may pay their respects to original Jamaican music, few play it anymore. The Skatalites, however, invented it. (CBN)

Nuevo Ballet Español — April 20 at Mandeville Auditorium

Flamenco is sexy enough as it is, but when two young prodigies shake up the tradition with a troupe of fresh stars, incorporating new elements from across the dance spectrum, it becomes incredibly hot. Angel Rojas and Carlos Rodriguez are the pair behind Nuevo Ballet Español, the company that gets credit for reinvigorating Spain’s aging art form. While their repertoire includes narrative-form performances like “Romeo and Juliet,” UCSD gets “Flamenco Directo,” a showcase for their blend of age-old and new. (GF)