What Are Some Online Resources to Learn About Mento?

What Are Some Online Resources to Learn About Mento? A growing number of online platforms now offer access to mento music’s history, recordings, and cultural context—providing a valuable blend of academic, archival, and community-based resources for researchers, educators, and curious learners.

Introduction

Although mento remains underrepresented in mainstream digital media compared to reggae or dancehall, the internet has become a crucial tool for preserving and accessing Jamaica’s earliest music. Whether you’re a university student, musician, or cultural researcher, there are now several credible and dynamic online resources offering entry points into mento’s rhythm, history, and significance.

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1. Archival Platforms and Digital Libraries

a. Digital Library of the Caribbean (dLOC)

• A collaborative digital collection that includes:
  • Early recordings of mento,
  • Research papers,
  • Cultural documentation from UWI, Florida International University, and others.
• Searchable by keyword (“mento,” “folk music Jamaica,” etc.).

Website: www.dloc.com

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b. Institute of Jamaica – Jamaica Music Museum (JaMM)

• The official institution for Jamaican music heritage.
• Online exhibits include:
  • Instrument profiles (e.g., rhumba box),
  • Oral histories of mento performers,
  • Video snippets from folk music showcases.

Website: www.instituteofjamaica.org.jm

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2. Educational and Scholarly Repositories

a. UWI Mona Library – Special Collections

• Digitized theses and academic papers related to mento, music education, and cultural performance.
• Home to Olive Lewin’s field recordings and musicology work.

Access via: https://www.mona.uwi.edu/library

b. JSTOR and Google Scholar

• Offers open-access and university-linked papers on:
  • Mento’s historical context,
  • Its transition into ska and reggae,
  • Comparative ethnomusicology.

Keywords: “mento music Jamaica,” “folk music Caribbean”

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3. Streaming and Audio Archives

a. Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

• Features rare mento tracks from the Allan Lomax Caribbean expedition and field recordings from the 1950s–60s.
• Includes liner notes with cultural commentary.

Website: www.folkways.si.edu

b. YouTube Channels

• The Jolly Boys and Blue Glaze Mento Band have official uploads.
• Caribbean Culture Archives and JCDC Jamaica publish festival performances, oral history clips, and school programs featuring mento.

Tip: Use playlist keywords like “Mento Jamaica Folk Music.”

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4. Blogs, Essays, and Cultural Journalism

a. Wayne & Wax (Wayne Marshall)

• Ethnomusicologist who has written on mento’s evolution and digital remixes.
• Highlights how mento is sampled and remembered in the diaspora.

Blog: www.wayneandwax.com

b. Jamaican Gleaner Archives

• Digitized news articles on mento performers, events, and music preservation.
• Historical insight into mento’s treatment by the press since the 1950s.

Website: www.jamaica-gleaner.com

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5. Interactive and Multimedia Projects

a. Global Jukebox (by Alan Lomax Foundation)

• Interactive map of global music traditions, including mento.
• Users can hear samples, read descriptions, and explore related traditions.

Website: www.theglobaljukebox.org

b. UNESCO Intangible Heritage Portal

• Includes documentation of mento as part of Jamaica’s oral and musical tradition.
• Visual and narrative resources on mento’s cultural significance.

Website: ich.unesco.org

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6. Social Media and Grassroots Archives

• Facebook groups like “Jamaican Folk Music Preservation Society” share rare video clips and discussions.
• TikTok creators now use mento in short-form educational content and remixes.
• Reddit threads under r/Reggae and r/CaribbeanMusic occasionally include mento discussions and research inquiries.

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Conclusion

The digital world is slowly catching up to mento’s cultural significance. While not as ubiquitous as reggae online, the growing number of platforms—ranging from academic archives to streaming services—make it easier than ever to learn about, hear, and engage with mento. These resources are essential for cultural continuity, educational curriculum development, and the global reawakening of interest in Jamaica’s first sound.

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References

• Lewin, O. (2000). Rock It Come Over: The Folk Music of Jamaica. University of the West Indies Press.
• Manuel, P., & Bilby, K. (2006). Caribbean Currents: Caribbean Music from Rumba to Reggae. Temple University Press.
• Bilby, K. (2016). Words of Our Mouth, Meditations of Our Heart. Wesleyan University Press.
• Smithsonian Folkways. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://folkways.si.edu
• Digital Library of the Caribbean. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.dloc.com
• Institute of Jamaica. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.instituteofjamaica.org.jm