Meaning
Jamaica's original rural folk music — acoustic and rootsy, played on banjo, guitar, hand drum, and rumba box, with witty, often cheeky and bawdy lyrics. Coming well before ska, rocksteady, and reggae, mento is the country grandparent of Jamaican popular music, and it is sometimes mistaken for Trinidadian calypso, which it resembles. Bright, danceable, and full of sly humour and social comment, it belongs to the old-time village dance and the roots of the whole tradition of Jamaican song.
Examples
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Di old-time band a play mento.
The old-time band is playing mento.
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Mento come before ska an reggae.
Mento came before ska and reggae.
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Di rumba box give mento him bass.
The rumba box gives mento its bass.
Origin
Of uncertain origin, possibly from a Spanish or African root; the name settled on this Jamaican country folk style in the early 20th century.
How it’s used
The grandparent of modern Jamaican music. Its rumba box (a large thumb-piano bass) is a signature sound. Distinct from Trinidadian calypso, though often confused with it.