Meaning
A large wooden box thumb-piano — the bass instrument of the mento band. The player sits on the box and plucks the metal tongues (keys) fixed over a sound-hole to sound deep bass notes, the way a modern bass guitar would. A descendant of the African mbira, the rhumba box gives old-time Jamaican mento its rolling, resonant bottom end.
Examples
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Di man siddung pon di rhumba box an pluck di bass.
The man sits on the rhumba box and plucks the bass.
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Mento band nuh complete widout di rhumba box.
A mento band isn't complete without the rhumba box.
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Di rhumba box give di deep note.
The rhumba box gives the deep notes.
Origin
A large box-mbira (thumb-piano) providing the bass in mento; descended from the African mbira. See [[mento]], [[scraper]].
How it’s used
The box thumb-piano that plays the bass in mento bands. See [[mento]], [[scraper]], [[banjo]].