Long before reggae, there was Mento. This genre holds pride of place as being Jamaica’s first and, in a sense, most indigenous popular music. In fact, it was the first popular Jamaican music to be commercially recorded.
Here we present a playlist of some Mento classics, with links to iTunes to purchase.
- Naughty Little Flea – Lord Flea & His Calypsonians
- Shake Shake Senora – Lord Flea & His Calypsonians
- It All Began with Adam & Eve – Lord Flea & His Calypsonians
- Talking Parrot – Count Lasher’s Seven
- Island Gal Sally – Count Lasher’s Seven
- Mango Time – Count Lasher’s Seven
- Take Me Back to Jamaica – The Jolly Boys
- No Rice, No Peas, No Coconut Oil – The Jolly Boys
- Shaving Cream – The Jolly Boys
- Hold ‘Im Joe – Lord Lebby & the Jamaican Calypsonians
- Ethiopia – Lord Lebby & the Jamaican Calypsonians
- Melody D’Amour – Count Owen & His Calypsonians
- Kingston Town – Count Owen & His Calypsonians
- Limbo – The Wrigglers & Ernest Ranglin
- Linstead Market – The Wrigglers
