When and where did mento music originate?
Jamaican Mento music originated in the 1950’s. It is a style of Jamaican music that predates and has greatly influenced Ska and Reggae music.
Is Mento the first music in Jamaica?
Mento is a style of Jamaican folk music that predates and has greatly influenced ska and reggae music. It is a fusion of African rhythmic elements and European elements, which reached peak popularity in the 1940s and 1950s….
Mento | |
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Derivative forms | Ska |
Who brought Mento to Jamaica?
Although the two share many similarities, they are separate and distinct musical forms. 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.
Why is Mento important to Jamaica?
It was important because what was being conveyed at the time was the sense that mento was crucial to identifying Jamaican culture, the Jamaican identity. “It was also important, too, because it was a year into independence, when ska was still in its infancy, before it became known as the national sound.
What does mento music sound like?
It strummed the rhythm similarly to the role of guitar in reggae. It was a lead instrument, sometimes played very precisely and sometimes very loosely. It could riff wildly, or be played as orderly and pointillisticly as a music box. Sometimes it chimed like a steel drum, other times it sounded like a mandolin.
What came after mento?
In the late 1950’s, Ska emerged from the mento sound. This style of music came about because musicians now began to play around with the sound adding a little calypso here and there as well as some American Jazz, some Rhythm and Blues (R&B) etc.
What is the origin of mento music?
Mento is a style of Jamaican folk music recognisable by its acoustic sounds. It became a feature of Caribbean music in the 1920s, but the golden years of this genre, were in the 1940s and 50s. Mento is a fusion of African and European rhythms and musical traditions reflecting many centuries of history.
What are the three 3 types of instruments used in a traditional mento band?
Musicians in traditional mento bands or combos play the banjo, maracas, fife, bamboo flute, and bamboo sax (pictured above). The bamboo sax and the fife are used for the melody, while the banjo provides both harmony and a rhythmic element to the songs.
What decade was considered the golden age of mento?
The Golden Age (1950s) Middle Period (1960s) Resurgence (1977 – today) Also see…
When did mento become popular?
Mento is a style of Jamaican folk music recognisable by its acoustic sounds. It became a feature of Caribbean music in the 1920s, but the golden years of this genre, were in the 1940s and 50s.
What is mento music called in Jamaica?
Mento music is often referred to as Jamaican Calypso, although the rhythms and song patterns are markedly different from those of Trinidadian Calypso .
What is the history of mento music?
History. Due in part to Belafonte’s popularity, mento became widely conflated with calypso in the 1950s. In a 1957 interview for Calypso Star magazine, Lord Flea explained: “In Jamaica, we call our music ‘mento’ until very recently. Today, ‘calypso’ is beginning to be used for all kinds of West Indian music.
What is the history of Jamaican music?
Jamaica’s Heritage in Music. Revivalism began in Jamaica between 1860 and 1861 as a part of a religious movement called the Great Revival. It is a combination of elements from African pagan beliefs and Christianity and has several forms, the two major forms being Revival Zion and Pocomania.
What instruments are used in 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) which carries the bass part of the music. Lord Flea and Count Lasher are two of the more successful mento artists.