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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It was a journey 50 years in the making. After months of anticipation The Jolly Boys made their electrifying Big Apple debut to a jam-packed audience at the Hiro Ballroom at The Maritime Hotel in New York on February 24, 2011. Performing songs from their repertoire of classic and modern mento hits The Jolly Boys made an exceptional impression on an audience that had never before seen the Jamaican sensations in action.



( via Chad Batka for The New York Times )

Upon arrival in New York, an appearance on East Village Radio with DJ Max Glazer of Federation Sound got the buzz going for American fans who might not yet have known The Jolly Boys were in town. While interviews with Jesse Serwer of Largeup.com and Sherman Escoffery of the Jamaica Observer made sure the fans back in The Caribbean got their slice of the pie as well. So by the time ‘the boys’ took the stage (at around 10pm) their big day had already seen a lot of activity, though judging by their energetic performance one would not have been able to tell.
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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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Due to unforeseen circumstances The Jolly Boys’ American debut performance scheduled for January 13th at the Hiro Ballroom in the Maritime Hotel in New York has been postponed until Thursday, February 24th, 2011.



We sincerely apologize to all our fans who had made plans to attend on the original date but as we say in Jamaica “soon come”.

Jamaican fans of The Jolly Boys are in for a treat this New Year’s Eve. Fresh from their successful winter tour of Europe and just a few weeks away from their United States debut at Hiro Ballroom in New York, ‘the boys’ will be having a performance tomorrow night in Jamaica!



First, at 11:00 p.m The Jolly Boys will be at Geejam Hotel‘s Bushbar for a performance for the guests staying at the hotel. The hotel is in the breathtakingly beautiful parish of Portland Jamaica so if you’re in the area (or are up for making a drive well worth you’re while) come out and ring in the New Year with Jamaica’s very own Kings of Mento.