Mento
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:''The article is about the Jamaican musical style. For the D.C. comics character, see [[Mento (comics)]]. For the candy, see [[Mentos]].''
{{Jamaicanmusic}}
'''Mento''' is a style of [[Music of Jamaica|Jamaican]] [[folk music]] that predates and has greatly influenced [[ska]] and [[reggae]] music. Mento typically features acoustic instruments, such as [[classical guitar|acoustic guitar]], [[banjo]], [[hand drum]]s, and the [[rhumba box]] — a large [[mbira]] in the shape of a box that can be sat on while played. The ''rhumba box'' carries the [[bass (musical term)|bass]] part of the music.
Mento is often confused with [[Calypso music|Calypso]], a musical form from [[Trinidad and Tobago]]. Although the two share many similarities, they are separate and distinct musical forms. In part, the differences stem from the differing colonial histories of the two [[West Indies|West Indian]] Islands, as Jamaican Music lacks the [[Spain|Spanish]] influences found in other [[Caribbean]] musical styles.
Mento draws on musical traditions brought over by [[Africa]]n slaves. The influence of European music is also strong, as slaves who could play musical instruments were often required to play music for their masters. They subsequently incorporated some elements of these traditions into their own [[folk music]]. The lyrics of mento songs often deal with aspects of everyday life in a light-hearted and humorous way. Many comment on poverty, poor housing and other social issues. Thinly-veiled sexual references and innuendo are also common themes. Although the treatment of such subjects in mento is comparatively innocent, their appearance has sometimes been seen as a precursor of the 'slackness' found in modern [[dancehall]].
The golden age of mento was the 1950s, as records pressed by [[Stanley Motta]], [[Ivan Chin]], [[Ken Khouri]] and others brought the music to a new audience. In the 1960s it was overshadowed by [[ska]] and reggae, but it is still played in Jamaica, especially in areas frequented by tourists. It was repopularized 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]].
==Further reading==
*Floyd Jr, Samuel A (1999). [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0734-4392(199921)17%3A1%3C1%3ABMITC%3E2.0.CO%3B2-G "Black Music in the Circum-Caribbean"]. ''American Music'', Vol. 17, No. 1 (Spring, 1999), pp. 1-38.
*Neely, Daniel (2001). "Long Time Gal! Mento is Back!". ''The Beat'', December 2001, vol. 20, no. 6: 38-42. Available in [http://homepages.nyu.edu/~dtn9606/NeelyBeat2001.pdf pdf format] at New York University homepages.
*Neely, Daniel (2007). [http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/lifestyle/html/20070317t160000-0500_120495_obs_one_of_mento_s_great_voices_silenced_.asp "One of mento's great voices silenced"]. "Jamaica Observer, March 18, 2007,
*{{cite book |last=Barrow |first=Steve |coauthors=Dalton, Peter |title=The Rough Guide to Reggae |origyear=1997 |edition=Third Edition |year=2004 |month=08 |publisher=Rough Guides, Ltd. |location=[[Strand, London|Strand]], [[London]], [[England]] |isbn=1-84353-329-4 |chapter=The Beginnings: Mento to Ska }}
==Films==
*1984 - ''Caribbean Crucible''. From ''Repercussions: A Celebration of African-American Music'' series, program 6. Directed by Dennis Marks and Geoffrey Haydon.
==External links==
*[http://www.calypsoworld.org/noflash/cla-2.htm Jamaica] - In ''Calypso: A World Music'', a site created by Historical Museum of Southern Florida about calypso and mento
*[http://www.mentomusic.com Jamaican Mento Music] - site created by Michael Garnice (comprehensive information on the history and the musicians who made the music)
*[http://www.mentomusic.com/chins.htm Ivan Chin] - Mento music's pages on mento pioneer Ivan Chin
{{reggae}}
[[Category:Folk music]]
[[Category:Jamaican styles of music]]
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