The Founding Father of Jamaican Music: Mento
When asked about the defining music genres of Jamaica, many are quick to suggest the emergence of reggae in the 1960s and 1970s. Perhaps a seasoned music guru would express the influence of ska and rocksteady music. However, it seems few have been exposed to the predecessor of these genres; mento music.
Let’s first address the etymology of the word. Mento is believed to be derived from the Spanish word ‘mentar’, meaning to ‘call out’ or ‘name’. As with many other genres of Black music, protests, and social commentary are found deeply imbedded within the cells of mento music. Following this theme, many mento songs feature lyrics that bring attention to social injustice, often through storytelling with a humorous air.
Sometimes referred to by the term country music, mento started to solidify itself in Jamaican and Caribbean culture as far back as Jamaica’s colonial days. Many musically gifted individuals found themselves among the enslaved African Peoples who were forcibly migrated from their homes and made to work on plantations. Those who possessed the skills of playing instruments were often instructed by their slaveowner to play European folk songs to provide entertainment. These early musicians began to integrate their own culture and musical traditions into the songs they were singing. Through this melting pot of musical genres, mento music was born.
Mento took its position as Jamaica’s first popular music genre much later in the 1930s. With Jamaica’s tourism section booming, folk artists from rural communities began to find employment in tourist-heavy areas, providing live music and entertainment to the arriving tourists. The lighthearted beat and rhythmic lyrics fostered an exotic environment which was in part responsible for its popularity amongst arriving tourists and the Jamaican people.
Now that we have the history out of the way, let’s discuss what makes mento, mento. The first defining characteristic is the use of acoustic instruments. Electricity was not a common amenity in much of Jamaica at the time which made any instruments relying on power to be operated, obsolete. Commonly employed instruments used by mento bands include the fife, a flute made from bamboo, the harmonica, acoustic guitar, banjo, and the rumba box, a wooden bass kalimba which the musician also uses as a seat.
Mento music also has a recognizable slow pace which utilizes a 4/4 beat time signature and syncopated rhythm. Syncopated rhythm refers to the layering of multiple rhythms together causing stresses and accents in the beat to occur when they normally would not. Harmonization is also a quintessential element of the genre.
Many of the elements of mento music have been carried over into more recent Caribbean music styles such as the aforementioned ska and reggae. Although these genres may have gained more popularity and overshadowed mento, it is impossible to deny its influence in the emergence.
To round off this quick education on Jamaican mento music, try listening to a few of the genre’s pioneers: Louise Bennet, Lord Fly, Count Lasher, Slim and Slam, The Jolly Boys, Lord Tanamo, and Sugar Belly. The list could continue, but these few artists should hopefully open the floodgate.
