Mento is a style of Jamaican folk music that predates and has greatly influenced ska and reggae music. It is a fusion of African rhythmic and European elements, created in the early 20th century, although its exact origins are difficult to pinpoint. 

It became a feature of Caribbean music in the 1920s, but the golden years of this genre were in the 1940s and 50s. 

Mento typically features acoustic instruments, such as the guitar, banjo, hand drums, and the rhumba box, a large mbira in the shape of a box that can be sat on while playing. The music often incorporates humorous lyrics and deals with everyday life in Jamaica.

While it’s hard to attribute the creation of mento music to a specific individual, some early mento artists and bands include Lord Flea, Count Lasher, and the Jolly Boys. 

These artists helped popularize the genre in the 1950s and 1960s. Mento music was often recorded and produced by local Jamaican labels, such as Ken Khouri’s Federal Records and Stanley Motta’s MRS label.

Although mento music’s popularity waned with the rise of ska and reggae, it has experienced a resurgence in recent years, with contemporary artists like the Jolly Boys and the Blue Glaze Mento Band continuing to perform and record mento music.