"Mento has been described as ‘Jamaica’s original foundation music, the father of them all’" - Music, by Catherine Ross at Museumand
Mento is a style of Jamaican folk music recognisable by its acoustic sounds. It became a feature of Caribbean music in the 1920s, but the golden years of this genre, were in the 1940s and 50s. Mento is a fusion of African and European rhythms and musical traditions reflecting many centuries of history. It was originally played on homemade, makeshift instruments including natural gourds, pieces of iron, empty sardine cans, forks and graters!