B/W of elderly musicians playing in a traditional Mento band, Buff Bay. Jamaica

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Mento music had its beginnings in Jamaica in the 19th century, and was a uniquely Jamaican fusion of African and European musical traditions. But it wasn't until the early 1950s that true mento recordings first began to appear on 78 RPM discs. This decade was mento’s golden age, as a variety of artists recorded mento songs in an assortment of rhythms and styles. It was the peak of mento's creativity and popularity in Jamaica and the birth of Jamaica's recording industry. Buff Bay, Jamaica

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Size: 5477px × 3612px
Location: Buff Bay, Jamaica
Photo credit: © Neil Cooper / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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