Before reggae, rock steady, or even ska, mento ruled Jamaica's musical consciousness. Originally a rural folk music, coalesced from African and European influences, mento took on a more modern tenor ...

A dozen years ago, finding Jamaican mento music from the 1950s was nearly impossible. The pre-ska, acoustic calypso music -- which can still be heard on the island's resorts and tourist spots -- was ...

Mento takes centre stage in this year’s Groundation series organised by the Jamaica Music Museum. For curator and director of the museum, Herbie Miller, the decision to focus on mento — one of the ...

During rehearsal, the music is spiritually uplifting for members of the Jamaican Folk Revue. In the church meeting room, they tell stories through lyrics, about love and marriage, dance and games, ...

Chris Nickson reviews the CD Mento Madness: Motta's Jamaican Mento 1951-56. The disc is a compilation of material from the Jamaican "MRS" label founded by Kingston business man Stanley Motta. The CD ...

In Jamaican music’s immediate family, there are reggae, dancehall, ska, rocksteady, dub and mento and Nyabinghi. Close cousins? That would be hip-hop, reggaeton, EDM and Afrobeats. Learn about all the ...

The Jolly Boys will be bringing the sounds of Jamaica to this week's Big Chill which takes from Thursday 5th until Sunday 8th August at Eastnor Castle in Herefordshire. Jamaican mento act The Jolly ...