Mento: The Original Sound of Jamaica
Before reggae, before dancehall, before ska – there was mento. Often mistaken for calypso by outsiders, mento is in fact Jamaica’s first popular music, born in the rural hillsides and urban backyards of the island in the early 20th century, reaching its cultural height in the 1950s. It is a sound deeply rooted in folk tradition, drawing from the lived experiences, wit, and humor of the Jamaican people.
Origins: Folk Music with a Caribbean Flavor
Mento developed as a blend of African rhythmic influences and European melodic forms, much of it passed down orally through generations of enslaved and then emancipated Jamaicans. By the early 1900s, it began evolving into a more structured musical form, distinctively Jamaican in both rhythm and lyrical content.
As Jamaica entered the 1950s, the popularity of calypso music from Trinidad began to rise across the Caribbean and North America. Because of its similarities, mento was often marketed as calypso internationally – a marketing tactic used by record labels – but mento has its own unique identity, sound, and legacy.
The Sound of Mento
Mento music is typically acoustic, performed with a combination of banjo, acoustic guitar, hand drums (like bongos or congas), and most famously, the rumba box — a large thumb piano that produces deep bass tones, played while the musician sits on top of it.
What sets mento apart is its infectious beat, upbeat rhythm, and witty, often risqué lyrics about everyday Jamaican life — love, sex, politics, poverty, and social satire. These songs provided commentary on colonialism, class divisions, and the struggles of the working class, often cloaked in humor and innuendo.
Key Artists Who Shaped Mento
1. Lord Flea
Arguably the most internationally recognized mento artist, Lord Flea (born Norman Thomas) helped bring the genre to American audiences in the 1950s. Based in Kingston, he was signed by Capitol Records and appeared on television shows and in Hollywood films like Calypso Heat Wave (1957). Songs like “Shake Shake Sonora” and “Naughty Little Flea” showcased his storytelling wit and vibrant stage presence. Lord Flea’s success helped spotlight mento during the early days of Jamaica’s global cultural emergence.
2. Count Lasher
Born Terence Parkins, Count Lasher was a humorous, clever lyricist and one of the genre’s most prolific artists. His recordings, many of which were produced by Stanley Motta, captured the Jamaican spirit of the time. Songs like “Calypso Cha Cha” and “The Weed” exemplified Lasher’s clever wordplay and topical commentary on Jamaican society, earning him a strong local following.
3. Stanley Beckford
While often associated with reggae and dancehall in later years, Stanley Beckford maintained strong ties to mento’s roots. His nasal vocal style and humorous storytelling were reminiscent of traditional mento performers. Songs like “Soldering” and “Samfie Man” bridge mento’s rustic tradition with modern sensibilities. Beckford helped revive interest in mento in the 1970s and beyond, bringing its sounds to younger audiences who may have forgotten its origins.
4. The Jolly Boys
Perhaps the most iconic group associated with the modern revival of mento, The Jolly Boys were formed in the 1940s in Port Antonio. With their rumba box-led arrangements and authentic presentation, they gained international acclaim decades later with albums like Pop ‘n’ Mento and Great Expectation, where they covered rock and pop hits in mento style (including Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab” and The Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”). They toured internationally, keeping the mento flame alive well into the 21st century.
Mento’s Cultural Legacy
Though often overshadowed by ska, reggae, and dancehall, mento laid the foundation of Jamaican popular music. It was the first music to be recorded commercially in Jamaica, with the establishment of local studios like Stanley Motta’s in the 1950s. Mento’s instrumentation and lyrical tradition directly influenced early ska artists and deejays who followed.
Mento is also critical to understanding Jamaica’s oral storytelling traditions, cultural resilience, and sense of humor. Even today, mento survives in tourist performances, school curricula, and revival groups that honor its history.
Conclusion: Jamaica’s Hidden Treasure
Mento is not just a genre — it’s a cultural archive, a musical journal that captures the voices, struggles, joys, and rhythms of everyday Jamaicans in a pre-independence era. As reggae and dancehall dominate global charts, the role of mento in setting the stage must not be forgotten.
For any Online Reggae Museum, mento deserves a dedicated gallery, not as a footnote, but as the first chapter in Jamaica’s musical journey — a chapter full of rhythm, rebellion, and radiant joy.
