GENRE

Mento

from the 1950sJamaica
THE STORY

Jamaica’s own folk-pop — banjo, rumba box, sly lyrics. Often sold abroad as calypso. It is not calypso.

EXPLORE
THE ROOTSKuminaBurruNyahbinghiRevival Zion · PocoJamaican FolkCaribbean ExchangeR&B

Find Mento among the roots

See how they stand with the music around them.

See it among the roots →

Hear this era in the Riddim Deck →

Updated 2026-09Ranges kept honest · contested dates marked “c.”