What Is Mento Essay Example for Free

What Is Mento EssayMento is a distinct style of Jamaican music that emerged in the early 1900s and is not to be confused with Jamaican calypso. Mento, much like other Caribbean folk music, is a blending of African rhythms, Latin rhythms, and Anglo folksongs. Mento draws its traditions from African slaves brought to Jamaica and somewhat European folk culture. Slaves were some measure made to play music, singing European folk songs which largely influenced the development of Mento.Inevitably, the slaves would infuse their own traditions with the music and it became common act to sing Mento songs about social lives of the people. In Jamaica, Mento is sometimes referred to as country music, because of it light hearted and simplistic lyrics as well as the omitting of electric instruments. A Mento anchor ring typically consists of a banjo, an acoustic guitar, hand drums and rumba box and is characterized by a 332 rhythms with an emphasis on the fourth scramble in each bar.Mento ca me to real prominence in the 1940s and 1950s before being displaced by ska, rock steady and reggae. It wasnt until the early 1950s that authentic Mento recordings first began to appear on 78 RPM discs. This decade was mentos golden age, as a variety of artists recorded Mento songs in an assortment of rhythms and styles. It was the solar apex of mentos creativity and popularity in Jamaica and the birth of Jamaicas recording industry. These recordings reveal Mento to be a diverse musical genre, sometimes played with reckless abandon and other times with orderly precision.In addition to mentos African and European roots, by this time, it had also encompassed pan-Caribbean influences, as well as from American jazz. Although it was informed by a cosmea of music, mento is clearly, uniquely Jamaican. And as Jamaicas original music, all other Jamaican music can trace its roots to mento . Mento is still listened to in Jamaica today, but mostly be heard in tourist destinations. Early recor dings of traditional mento are difficult to find. Some early mento practioners were Slim and Slam, Count Lasher and Everard Williams.