After their rocking American debut in New York in February the legendary Kings of Mento will be returning to the U.S in just a few days to share the stage with Grammy winner Shaggy at the 7th Annual American Friends of Jamaica (AFJ) Peacock Soiree on Saturday, April 9, 2011 in Miami.



The gala honors diamond-selling performer Orville “Shaggy” Burrell as the 2011 International Humanitarian for his philanthropic role in assisting the Bustamante Hospital for Children in Kingston, Jamaica.The Peacock Soiree will be held at Miami’s Jungle Island, a lush, tropical setting with a festive atmosphere that sets the tone for a night of cocktails, dinner and performances. Another highlight of the evening is an anticipated silent and live auction. The proceeds of the Peacock Soiree create significant social impact by raising important funds distributed to Jamaican charities in education, healthcare and economic development.

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After a long journey from their homes in Portland, Jamaica The Jolly Boys arrived in New York City (NYC) yesterday for their most important show yet. Their NYC debut to the fans, media, cultuarri and fashionistas tomorrow February 24, 2011 at Hiro Ballroom at the The Maritime Hotel!



For weeks the excitement has been building for their highly anticipated Big Apple debut and their good karma already seems to be manifesting since ‘the boys’ are currently celebrating Maracas player Joseph “Powda” Bennett’s Birthday! To add intrigue to elation The Jolly Boys entered the U.S through Gate 22 on Powda’s Birthday (the 22nd of February). We take this as a promising sign.
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On February 2, 2011 The Jolly Boys rocked the house at the first in a series of Reggae Month concerts held at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts in Jamaica. The night saw a number of astounding performances from the reigning Kings of Mento including a mixture of classic and modern mento hits.



It was after their cover of New Order’s “Blue Monday” that the crowd began shouting their request for the smash hit cover of Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab” and the moment The Jolly Boys began performing it they were interrupted by members of the audience who had rushed forward to show their excitement. In case you missed this magnetic performance enjoy this snippet of The Jolly Boys performing “Rehab” at the event. read more!

On February 2, 2011, as part of the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association‘s (JaRIA) “Reggae Month” celebrations the reigning “Kings of Mento” gave an electrifying performance at the first in a series of free concerts held at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, branded ‘Heritage’.



Mento is a style of Jamaican folk music that predates and has greatly influenced ska and reggae music and not only are The Jolly Boys the embodiment of this genre, but they have proven to be the perfect fusion of old and new with their introduction of “Modern Mento” into the world of music. After having spent so much time on tour in Europe it only took a few seconds on stage in Jamaica for The Jolly Boys to realize they were home. The crowd erupted in cheers as lead singer Albert Minott kicked things off with the Classic Mento hit “Dig, Dig”. The song’s subtle, sexual innuendos were mirrored in the gyrations of the singer.
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February is Reggae Month in Jamaica and among the festivities the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA) has planned for the month is a weekly series of free concerts each Wednesday at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts. Tonight (February 2, 2011) the reigning “Kings of Mento” will perform among other acts in the first in the series, branded ‘Heritage’.



Mento is a style of Jamaican folk music that predates and has greatly influenced ska and reggae music and The Jolly Boys are the embodiment of this genre. The Reggae Month concert will feature music ranging from Folk and Mento to Jazz, Classical and Drumming. Performances will include The Jolly Boys, Dennis Rushton, & more. The show starts at 7:30 pm. Come out tonight and see The Jolly Boys among other great acts!

In just a few short weeks The Jolly Boys will be taking modern mento music to The United States for the first time ever with a highly anticipated show at the Hiro Ballroom in New York on Thursday February 24th, 2011.




As a special treat to all our fans in the U.S we will be giving away 8 tickets every day for the next 5 days between 6 and 7pm (Tuesday – Friday) and 1 and 2pm on Saturday on our Facebook Fan Page! As a bonu you can also watch The Jolly Boys journey from their first outing around Europe up to their imminent show in the Big Apple with a new clip posted on Facebook every day at 12:00 pm. Join in on the fun by joining us on Facebook. See you there!

Since ending their recent winter tour of Europe Jamaica’s own mento maestros have been spending some quality time on home soil. Lucky locals have had a couple of chances to see them in action and the island’s hosting of 2011 installment of Caribbean Marketplace-the regions largest tourism trade show was once such opportunity.



Held at the newly constructed Montego Bay Convention Centre last week (January 16-18) The Jolly Boys were featured as part of a line up of musicians who performed on the event’s opening night. The event saw attendance from up to 1400 candidates from 30 countries and a host of exciting booths, prizes and giveaways. In case you missed it, see a bit of what it was like in the clip posted above!

NEGRIL, Westmoreland — The Jolly Boys, the world-acclaimed mento group out of Portland thrilled patrons during an electrifying performance at Bourbon Beach last Saturday. Fresh from their European tour, the mento music ambassadors delighted the mostly tourist crowd from the moment they hit the stage just before midnight.



From singer Albert Minnot strumming his guitar and belting out the first line from Wata Boy, to numbers like Iron Bar, Talking Parrot and Linstead Market, the group captivated the audience.
Read more: Jamaica Observer

The Jolly Boys are off to a great start in 2011, giving their Jamaican fans some quality performances before heading off to make their American debut at the Hiro Ballroom in New York in February. As they geared up to take the stage on the opening night of Caribbean Marketplace 2011 in Montego Bay last night (January 16, 2011) The Jolly Boys did a show at Bourbon Beach in Negril.



Bourbon Beach in Negril is one of the most popular live music venues on Jamaica’s North Coast. Here’s a snippet of The Jolly Boys performing their classic mento hit “Iron Bar” at Bourbon Beach on Saturday January 15, 2011:

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The Jolly Boys are looking forward to a lot of performances in the new year and are excited to be starting things off in their homeland Jamaica with spots on a number of the island’s key shows. First on the list is this year’s Caribbean Marketplace! Set to be held at the newly constructed Montego Bay Convention Centre from January 16-18, 2011.



The event’s opening night, Sunday January 16 will feature a lineup of top quality Jamaican entertainment which includes performances by our very own masters of mento music, The Jolly Boys. The Jolly Boys are also scheduled to appear at the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival (set for January 23-29) before making their American debut with a show at at the Hiro Ballroom in New York on February 24th, 2011. Stay tuned for more updates on The Jolly Boys, this is only the tip of the iceberg.