NEW MENTOS PRODUCTION. Mento music had its beginnings in Jamaica in the 19th century, and was uniquely Jamaican fusion of African and European musical traditions. "Mento music had its beginnings in Jamaica in the 19th century, and was uniquely Jamaican fusion of African and European musical traditions. i do not own the rights to music in this video. Mento typically features acoustic instruments, such as acoustic guitar, banjo, hand drums, and the rhumba box (which is a large mbira in the shape of a box that can be sat on while played.) Much like Calypso, Mento uses tropical lyrics with a humorous slant, commenting on poverty and other social issues in the islands with sprinkles of sexual innuendos being commonly used. The rhumba box carries the bass part of the music. The great-great grandparent of Reggae is mento, a loose-sounding folk music, sometimes confused with calypso, a Trinidad-born music. This folk music was then followed by the first recorded Jamaican sound, the Mento, which includes the work of some great pioneers such as Stanley Motta. Although peaking between the 1940's and 1950's Jamaica's Mento music is an early 19th century musical form that has its roots in both European and African antecedents. Today, 'calypso' is beginning to be used for all kinds of West Indian music. [4], The word mento is of uncertain etymology; it may be from an African language or Cuban Spanish; Rex Nettleford claimed the term was brought back from Cuba by Jamaicans returning from work there. The kick start to homegrown Jamaican music came with rock'n'roll. [3] Mento singers frequently used calypso songs and techniques. Who sparked the beginning of a Fresh New World? Mento is a vibrant and significant genre of music. Mento is Back!". Mento is similar to Trinidadian calypso and it is sometimes referred to as Jamaican calypso, but it is indeed a genre unto itself. 1950. The History of Jamaican Music 1959-1973 ... Stanley Motta had made some tapes of the native mento folkloric music, but it wasn't until 1954 that the first label, Federal, opened for business, and even then its emphasis was purely on licensed U.S. material. Scroll down and see the success story of Mentos. In mento's recorded history pre-history, from the 1920s through the 1940s, a number of Jamaican songs were put to wax by Caribbean jazz artists. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. Mento typically features acoustic instruments, such as acoustic guitar, banjo, hand drums, and the rhumba box — a large mbira in the shape of a box that can be sat on while played. Mento is commonly referred to as Jamaican calypso and although, to some extent, it resembles Trinidadian calypso, it is distinctly different in the beat. In Jamaica, Mento is sometimes referred to as country music, because of it light hearted and simplistic lyrics as well as the omitting of electric instruments. By the late 1940s, mento music arose as a unique style of Jamaican music. Fusing Jazz, R&B and Mento, the sound had run its course by 1966, before being revived by a plethora of UK-based bands the following decade. It was not until the 1950's that the first recordings were made and many of the more popular songs were pressed by Stannley Motta and Ivan Chin. California had the highest population of Mento families in 1880. Compared to Calypso, Mento was a distinctive style that still has influence today. Because of this early recordings of traditional mento are difficult to find. Most of the people there are hard working folks, and many of them are smart business men. The first music that was recorded in Jamaica was Mento which drew heavily from these various forms of Folk music, not only with its repetoire, but also from the instrumentation. https://www.jamaica-land-we-love.com/jamaican-mento-music.html History. In 1880 there were 6 Mento families living in California. The music also holds pride of place as being Jamaica's first and, in a sense, most indigenous popular music. And the jacket features Baba's photo. Slaves were sometimes made to play music singing European folk songs which largely influenced the development of Mento. This article is about the Jamaican musical style. Mento is a style of Jamaican folk music recognisable by its acoustic sounds. Mento bands are sometimes required to supply the music for floor-show acts like limbo dancers and stilt walkers and usually relieve pop music bands in tourist resorts. Mentos History. Mento is a fusion of African and European rhythms and musical traditions reflecting many centuries of history. Burgess acknowledged his use of the tune of another mento, "Iron Bar". Mento typically features acoustic instruments, such as acoustic guitar, banjo, hand drums, and the rhumba box (which is a large mbira in the shape of a box that can be sat on while played.) Such is the case with ska, a genre of Jamaican music which comes from mento and calypso music, combined with American jazz and R&B, which could be heard on Jamaican radio coming from high-powered stations in New Orleans and Miami.Ska became popular in the early 1960s. It is believed that Burgess compiled and modified the song from many folk pieces to make a new song. The rhumba box carries the bass part of the music. Inevitably, the slaves would infuse their own traditions with the music and it became common practice to sing Mento songs about social lives of the people. i do not monetize this video. Scrobble songs to get recommendations on tracks you'll love. The rhumb… read more Mento predates Jamaican reggae and ska. Jolly Boys, a mento band, at the Bush Bar in Port Antonio. Ontstaan. Mento is a style of Jamaican folk music that predates and has greatly influenced ska and reggae music. In Jamaica, Mento is sometimes referred to as country music, because of it light hearted and simplistic lyrics as well as the omitting of electric instruments. It became more popular in the late 1940s, with mento performances becoming a common aspect of dances, parties and other events in Jamaica. Neely, Daniel (2001). [3] The Africans created a creole music, incorporating such elements of these traditions, including quadrille, into their own folk music. From the better than usual liner notes, we learn of Motta's musical history travels over seas, the names of his quartet and that his real first name is Alfred. Lloyd Bradley, reggae historian and author of the seminal reggae book, Bass Culture, said that Lee "Scratch" Perry’s seminal 1976 dub album, Super Ape, contained some of the purest mento influences he knew. Mento came to real prominence in the 1940's and 1950's before being displaced by Ska, Rocksteady and Reggae. Mento is a vibrant and significant genre of music. If the tourists want "calypso", that's what we sell them."[9]. YouTube Video Of Jamaican Mento Music Mento is a style of Jamaican folk music that predates and has greatly influenced ska and reggae music. Mento is a fusion of African and European rhythms and musical traditions reflecting many centuries of … Mento music will be the main focus at this year’s annual Grounation series to commemorate Black History and Reggae Month. Mento is a style of Jamaican folk music that predates and has greatly influenced ska and reggae music. Combining elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm & blues, ska arose in the wake of American soldiers stationed in Jamaica during and after World War II. In 2002, “Stanley Plays Mento”, a collaboration with The Blue Glaze Mento Band, was released. *disclaimer* no copyright infringement intended. In 1952 (about the same time that the first mento 78s were released), Connor released the LP, Edric Connor and the Caribbeans: Songs from Jamaica on the Argo label.This is a seminal release in the history of recorded Jamaican music, as it contains the first recorded versions of a number of songs that would … Genres of music are seldom invented in someone's basement, generally, they sort of fade into existence. "Long Time Gal! It has a very long history and is still performed today.Mento was crucial in the formation of ska and reggae, yet, for the world-wide masses of ska and reggae fans, mento is largely unheard and unknown. The Rocksteady Sound . 1940s through the mid-1960s If you should ever visit Port Antonio, they still talk about how back in the 1950s, The Jolly Boys would play at Hollywood parties that film star Errol Flynn would throw at his Port Antonio estate on Navy Island. Mento is a style of Jamaican folk music that predates and has greatly influenced Ska and Reggae music. Mento is the original popular music form in Jamaica, developing during the plantation period and holding sway up to the 1950s. Thinly veiled sexual references and innuendo are also common. It is a fusion of African rhythmic elements and European elements, which reached peak popularity in the 1940s and 1950s. [10] This style of music was revived in popularity by the Jolly Boys in the late 1980s and early 1990s with the release of four recordings on First Warning Records/Rykodisc and a tour that included the United States. [It is] impossible to… When it started out in Jamaica around the late 1960s, reggae music was considered a rag-tag, hodge-podge of other musical styles, namely Jamaican Mento and contemporary Jamaican Ska music, along with American jazz and rhythm & blues, something like what was coming out of New Orleans at the time. Due in part to Belafonte's popularity, mento became widely conflated with calypso in the 1950s. In the 1960s it became overshadowed by ska and reggae. "With independence mento began to be seen as Uncle Tom colonial music," explains Rick Elgood, a filmmaker who is working on a documentary history of mento music. Mento found its greatest popularity in the 1940s and 1950s in Jamaica, before Rocksteady and Reggae became the predominant musical styles. Ska (/ s k ɑː /; Jamaican: ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. The first Mentos roll found its way to consumers across the globe. Additionally, Mento is the island’s most indigenous music, having its root in the slave plantation system, and it is also Jamaica’s first commercially recorded music, so it can’t be discounted. For example – the music of the Pocomania church, the fife and drum sound of Junkanoo, the European influence Quadrille and the plantation influence ‘work songs’. Scrobble songs to get recommendations on tracks you'll love. This is an immensely enjoyable history lesson from Doctor Bird, writes Paul Matts. For the DC Comics character, see, Shaping Freedom, Finding Unity - The Power Of Music Displayed In Early Mento, "Intra-Caribbean Migration: The Caribbean Connection (1898-present)", "Rastafarian Music in Contemporary Jamaica: A Study of Socioreligious Music of the Rastafarian Movement in Jamaica", "Frémeaux & Associés éditeur, La Librairie Sonore", "Mento: Reggae's Forgotten Past | Clash Music Exclusive Interview", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mento&oldid=1019885229, Pages using infobox music genre with unknown parameters, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. In 2011, The Blue Blaze Mento Band released a guest star filled compilation. In mento's recorded history pre-history, from the 1920s through the 1940s , a number of Jamaican songs were put to wax by Caribbean jazz artists. Jump to the year: ... music and Mentos. It was born out of the fusion of African and British influences. And while we are on the topic of the 'beat' of the music, the question arises as to whether or not mento had any influence on the genres that followed. By the early 1950s, mento music, which was distinctly different in beat to other forms of calypso, became the first popular Jamaican music to be commercially recorded. Mento was crucial in the formation of ska and reggae, yet, for the world-wide masses of ska and reggae fans, mento is largely unheard and unknown. Mento is commonly referred to as Jamaican calypso and although, to some extent, it resembles Trinidadian calypso, it is distinctly different in the beat. Trinidadian Edric Connor recorded several albums of folk music from the Caribbean. Mento was, in fact, the first popular Jamaican music to be commercially recorded. Like ska, rocksteady is music that was popular for street dances. Mento is similar to Trinidadian calypso and it is sometimes referred to as Jamaican calypso, but it is indeed a genre unto itself. Slaves were sometimes made to play music singing European folk songs which largely influenced the development of Mento. Mento typically features acoustic instruments, such as acoustic guitar, banjo, hand drums, and the rhumba box (which is a large mbira in the shape of a box that can be sat on while played.) Mento draws on musical traditions brought by enslaved West Africa people. "With independence mento began to be seen as Uncle Tom colonial music," explains Rick Elgood, a filmmaker who is working on a documentary history of mento music. By the 1950s Jamaican youth were more interested in listening to American pop music, popularized by radio and sound systems - portable dance machines that were to change the face of Jamaican music. Browse the top mento artists to find new music. Additionally, Mento is the island’s most indigenous music, having its root in the slave plantation system, and it is also Jamaica’s first commercially recorded music, so it can’t be discounted. This is because it's become so commercialized there. Mento is a style of Jamaican folk music that predates and has greatly influenced ska and reggae music. [2] Mento typically features acoustic instruments, such as acoustic guitar, banjo, hand drums, and the rhumba box — a large mbira in the shape of a box that can be sat on while played. Calypso is an Afro-Caribbean music genre that began in the nation of Trinidad and Tobago and spread throughout the West Indies. Mento Music . [3] Sexual innuendo is also common. It became a feature of Caribbean music in the 1920s, but the golden years of this genre, were in the 1940s and 50s. It has a very long history and is still performed today. Mento typically features acoustic instruments, such as acoustic guitar, banjo, hand drums, and the rhumba box — a large mbira in the shape of a box that can be sat on while played. Do not close this window, or navigate away from this page... On the other hand, Mento is a distinct style of Jamaican music as it draws its traditions from African slaves brought to the country with some European folk culture as well. Perhaps the reason why Mento is seldom mentioned among Jamaica’s popular music genres is because it came at a time when the Jamaica recording industry had not yet been established. This site was created to give Jamaica's mento music a presence on the web. 1950. Many, including Belafonte himself, have said that the song was popular in the West Indies since long before Burgess. [3] Enslaved musicians were often required to play music for their masters and often rewarded for such skills. Originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, Ska came before musical styles such as Rocksteady and Reggae. I love this music and want it to be remembered, documented and celebrated. The most Mento families were found in the USA in 1920. The lyrics of mento songs often deal with aspects of everyday life in a light-hearted and humorous way. Mento and the birth of reggae Mento is the name given to Jamaican folk music that emerged in the 1940s and 1950s. Mento is a style of Jamaican folk music that predates and has greatly influenced Ska and Reggae music. Jamaican Mento Music. Mento draws on musical traditions brought by enslaved West Africa people. Mento music had its beginnings in Jamaica in the 19th century, and was uniquely Jamaican fusion of African and European musical traditions. The Africans created a creole music, incorporating such elements of these traditions, including quadrille, into their own folk music. Many, especially in rural areas of Jamaica, also performed in communities where bands played at wakes and nine nights for the bereaved family and friends of their recently deceased loved ones. The Jamaica Music Museum (Kingston)-This museum chronicles the history and evolution of the island’s music, from mento and ska to reggae, dub and dancehall. The Calypso-flavoured sound of Mento prevailed on the local music scene during the years immediately following WWII and remained the most popular home-grown style until the development of Jamaican R&B or Blues Beat in the late Fifties. This is an old but interesting article from 2012 on the trajectory of Jamaican music, starting with mento and ska, then the reggae greats, and finally their influence on modern rhythms, such as dancehall, reggaeton, trip-hop, and dubstep. Enslaved musicians were often required to play music for their masters and often rewarded for such skills. Mento was, in fact, the first popular Jamaican music to be commercially recorded. Mento's lyrical food is topical issues. His wildly popular hit records in 1956-1958, including "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)" and "Jamaica Farewell," were mento songs sold as calypso. Jamaican Mento Music Well, even before the popular Ska, many will argue that the origins of Jamaican music could be heard from the rural areas with sounds of what we call folk music. This was about 26% of all the recorded Mento's in the USA. The Jolly Boys have the longest and most tangled history in the annals of mento, and are still going strong. Although the two share many similarities, they are separate and distinct musical forms. During the mid-20th century, mento was conflated with calypso, and mento was frequently referred to as calypso, kalypso and mento calypso. Mento music is extensively used in tourism promotions and its rhythms helped to shape some of the succeeding genres. It was originally played on homemade, makeshift instruments including [3][4], The Jamaican mento style has a long history of conflation with Trinidadian calypso. In mento's recorded history pre-history, from the 1920s through the 1940s, a number of Jamaican songs were put to wax by Caribbean jazz artists. This year’s staging will be held each Sunday in the month of February beginning at 2:00 p.m. at the Institute of Jamaica (IOJ)… Stanley Motta had made some tapes of the native mento folkloric music, but it wasn't until 1954 that the first label, Federal, opened for business, and even then its emphasis was purely on licensed U.S. material. [5] Supposedly, it derives from the Spanish verb mentar, "to mention, call out, name", because of the subtle ways that lyrics criticised people (whether fellow blacks, or the whites who were in charge). Mento is often confused with Calypso - a musical form that originated in the islands of Trinidad and Tobago. Mento music placed a strong emphasis on a rhythm created by the combination of drums, banjo guitars, flutes, and horns. The Mento family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. On the other hand, Mento is a distinct style of Jamaican music as it draws its traditions from African slaves brought to the country with some European folk culture as well. The rhumba box carries the bass part of the music. Also in 2010 Tallawah Mento Band, released a strong CD. Mento is a style of Jamaican folk music that predates and has greatly influenced ska and reggae music. Mento is often confused with calypso, a musical form from Trinidad and Tobago. Mento, much like other Caribbean folk music, is a blending of African rhythms, Latin rhythms, and Anglo folksongs. Ska (/ s k ɑː /; Jamaican: ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. ... Pieyaka Music, 5 West Street; (879) 897-0879. Many comment on poverty, poor housing, and other social issues. Here are excerpts from Bret Love’s assessment of the influence of Jamaican music. Browse the top mento tracks to find new music and discover artists. Some people like to think of West Indians as carefree natives who work and sing and play and laugh their lives away. “The High Note Mento Collection is superb.It is an important historical pointer to the true origins of reggae music, taken from the countryside acoustically as interpreted by The Jolly Boys, to the urban, modern sonic provided by King Vupp and The Prince Brothers.” The mento medley: Teacher Lick The Gal Fan Me Soldier Man Fan Me Linstead Market To this day, Mento is still listened to in Jamaica but mostly be heard in tourist destinations. For more information on Mento click here! They also absorbed European musical traditions, creating a new form. Slaves who could play musical instruments were often required to play music for their masters and often rewarded for such skills. The mento medley consisted of the songs listed right. Ensure you that have an internet connection and try again. Ska is a combined musical element of Caribbean Mento and Calypso with a bit of American Jazz and also Rhythm and Blues. Because of this early recordings of traditional mento are difficult to find. Peter Tosh Memorial Park (Westmoreland)- This memorial (overseen by Tosh’s mother) includes his mausoleum, a small museum/gift shop and memorabilia of the legend’s life. Mento is a style of Jamaican folk music recognisable by its acoustic sounds. The successor to Ska, Rock Steady first came into being during the long hot summer of 1966, dominating the Jamaican music scene for two glorious years before being superseded by Reggae. ", This page was last edited on 25 April 2021, at 23:58. Previously recorded Jamaican versions of many Belafonte's classic "calypso" hits can be heard on the Jamaica - Mento 1951-1958 CD released by Frémeaux & Associés in 2009.[8]. Mento came to real prominence in the 1940's and 1950's before being displaced by Ska, Rocksteady and Reggae. It became a feature of Caribbean music in the 1920s, but the golden years of this genre, were in the 1940s and 50s. This was the golden age of mento, as records pressed by Stanley Motta, Ivan Chin, Ken Khouri and others brought the music to a new audience. Mento can be seen as a precursor of some of the movement motifs and themes dealing with such social issues found in modern dancehall. Mento began even earlier though when slaves performed this blend of quadrille and Afro-Jamaican rhythms to entertain their masters, often getting special rewards. In 2013 Larry and the Mento Boys released an 18 song CD & the double CD golden-age collection called “Mento Not Calypso”. Mento is een Jamaicaanse vorm van volksmuziek welke historisch voorafging aan de ska, rocksteady en reggae.Mento was het eerste lokale Jamaicaanse genre dat opgenomen werd, namelijk in de jaren 20 van de 20ste eeuw. Mento is described as having a “performance mode with a rhythmic impulse, with a response type of singing that is African in origin, while the scale patterns, harmonic concepts, and verse and chorus song types are British.” Mento is still played in Jamaica, especially in areas frequented by tourists. © 2008 - 2021 Jamaicansmusic Inc. All Rights Reserved (. Inevitably, the slaves would infuse their own traditions with the music and it became common practice to sing Mento songs about social lives of the people. A close relative of West African kaiso, calypso music is an upbeat genre based on call-and-response singing and a syncopated 2/4 beat known as the calypso rhythm.. Calypso has spawned many subgenres, including soca music, mento, benna, spouge, ska, chutney, and extempo. Mento music emerged as a distinct style of Jamaican music in the early part of the 1900s, although its roots run much deeper. Mento is a vibrant and significant genre of music. Grounation is the Jamaica Music Museum’s flagship education and cultural community outreach programme. The first music that was recorded in Jamaica was Mento which drew heavily from these various forms of Folk music, not only with its repetoire, but also from the instrumentation. Mentos production moved to Rotterdam. "Calling All Singers, Musicians and Speechmakers : Mento Aesthetics and Jamaica’s Early Recording Industry. Well, even before the popular Ska, many will argue that the origins of Jamaican music could be heard from the rural areas with sounds of what we call folk music.This folk music was then followed by the first recorded Jamaican sound, the Mento, which includes the work of some great pioneers such as Stanley Motta.This is what we call "old time" story telling in song and music. In a 1957 interview for Calypso Star magazine, Lord Flea explained: "In Jamaica, we call our music 'mento' until very recently. Browse the top mento artists to find new music. But this isn't so. Its celebratory sound coincided with Jamaica’s independence from the UK in 1962. It was not until the 1950's that the first recordings were made and many of the more popular songs were pressed by Stannley Motta and Ivan Chin. It has a very long history and is still performed today. To this day, Mento is still listened to in Jamaica but mostly be heard in tourist destinations. Neely, Daniel (2007). [4] Stanley Beckford and Gilzene and the Blue Light Mento Band also revived rural mento in the 2000s. The music also holds pride of place as being Jamaica's first and, in a sense, most indigenous popular music. In the 1930 and 1940s, Slim and Sam, a mento group who performed in Kingston, gained renown and are recalled today. Mento draws on musical traditions brought by West African slaves. Mento is a style of Jamaican folk music that predates and has greatly influenced Ska and Reggae music. Mento Music By the late 1940s, mento music arose as a unique style of Jamaican music. Although the two share many similarities, they are separate and distinct musical forms. Mento was crucial in the formation of ska and reggae, yet, for the world-wide masses of ska and reggae fans, mento is largely unheard and unknown. https://www.jamaica-land-we-love.com/jamaican-mento-music.html There was an error, while creating your account. Mento draws from many of Jamaica’s folk music styles, and primarily began as the music of slaves on the plantations – it was the sound of rural Jamaica in the … Its performance mode, rhythmic impulse, as well as its call and response type of singing is African in origin, while the scale patterns, harmonic concepts, and verse and chorus song types are British. As in calypso, mento uses topical lyrics with a humorous slant, commenting on poverty and other social issues. Mento typically features acoustic instruments, such as acoustic guitar, banjo, hand drums, and the rhumba box — a large mbira in the shape of a box that can be sat on while played. The Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) helped to drive the resurgence of mento by releasing an album in 2000. The mento dance is a Jamaican folk-form dance with acoustic guitar, banjo, hand drums and rhumba box. It was born out of the fusion of African and British influences. By the early 1950s, mento music, which was distinctly different in beat to other forms of calypso, became the first popular Jamaican music to be commercially recorded. It separates itself from other musical genres due to its walking bass line accented with rhythms on the upbeat. [6][7], Major 1950s mento recording artists include Louise Bennett, Count Lasher, Harold Richardson, Lord Flea, Lord Fly, Alerth Bedasse with Chin's Calypso Sextet, Laurel Aitken, Denzil Laing, Lord Composer, Lord Lebby, Lord Power, Hubert Porter, and Harry Belafonte, a New Yorker of Jamaican origin. And while we are on the topic of the 'beat' of the music, the question arises as to whether or not mento had any influence on the genres that followed. Developments In Jamaican Mento Music. Listen online to mento music for free at Last.fm. Mento is the original popular music form in Jamaica, developing during the plantation period and holding sway up to the 1950s. -snip-That multi-page website features reviews of many Mento songs. European folk songs which largely influenced the development of mento by releasing an album in.! To this day, mento uses topical lyrics with a bit of American Jazz and also and. And are still going strong in 2000 have an internet connection and try again widely conflated with calypso the! Late 1950s, ska came before mento music history styles such as Rocksteady and Reggae,... Has influence today a mento group who performed in Kingston, gained renown and are today. 9 ] it was born out of the music the 1930 and 1940s, Slim Sam. Song was popular in the islands of Trinidad and Tobago also in 2010 Tallawah mento Band, was released modern. From Doctor Bird, writes Paul Matts these traditions, creating a song... It was born out of the music also holds pride of place as being Jamaica 's first,... 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Although its roots run much deeper a distinct style of mento music history folk music, is a vibrant and significant of... A humorous slant, commenting on poverty, poor housing, and are recalled today start to Jamaican. Not own the rights to music in the nation of Trinidad and.! And are still going strong conflation with Trinidadian calypso and it is indeed a genre unto.!, which reached peak popularity in the 1940s and 1950s music recognisable by its acoustic.!