The United Kingdom was being put under colossal pressure to end her rule of colonialism and give independence to the British Commonwealth islands within the Western Hemisphere of North America. Particularly the Caribbean Island of Jamaica as she blew her own trumpet in gaining independence from Great Britain in 1962, nevertheless, Jamaica remained a member of the British Commonwealth. Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II of England was still the Head of State for Jamaica and all other Commonwealth countries including Australia and New Zealand! The Jamaican culture, and her music, began to reflect the new found sanguinity and purpose of the unconventional mass. Mento, the most popular social dance music of that time was a creolised version of European and African plagiaristic styles. It was performed by ensembles that combined with European instruments. The European instruments include the fiddle, flute, guitar, along with other instruments of African origin. Instruments of African originality such as the banjo, bamboo saxophone, rumba box, drums, rattle, with the inclusion of an household grater scraped with the use of a 6 inch nail that made a scratching sound! | | In this intellect, the origins of Mento was comparable to those of popular dance music throughout the Caribbean music such as the likes of meringue, calypso, rumba, and konpa, which arose out of similar progression of a musical creolisation. Historians suspect that the term "Mento," though its origins are unidentified; its roots is derived from slavery at the beginning of the century. Historian argued that the "Mento" is a supplement to dances copied from the slave gangs that is symbolised by the sound and music including a banjo instrument blending in the meringue and the Cuban rumba! |
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