This Wednesday (April 11, 2012) The Jolly Boys were special in studio guests on RJR 94FMs weekly live music program ‘Wednesday Night Live‘. The mento maestros had the whole crew dancing and grooving to the sounds of classic and contemporary mento music as they performed selections from their catalog of hits.



Among those performed were the classic mento songs were ‘Emmanuel Road’, ‘Linstead Market’ and ‘Rukumbine’ and their modern mento hits ‘Golden Brown’, ‘Rehab’ and ‘Ring of Fire’. In case you might have missed the broadcast, enjoy the snippet of their performance of Rukumbine (posted above) and this clip of their rendition of Johnny Cash’s Ring of Fire!

On Saturday, November 12, 2011 Alexandra Palace in London, England will be transformed into Jamaica for one night only and The Jolly Boys will be headlining the transformation! Inspired by the island’s famously vibrant nightlife culture the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project will be channeling the sights, sounds & tastes of Jamaica.



At the same time that a Jamaican venue will be hosting a London themed club night complete with black cabs, kebabs and events that celebrate old English pub traditions and the quintessential British summer festival vibe. These club nights are part of a series of world wide events, with other parties in the series including swaps between Sydney, Sao Paulo, Berlin and Cape Town, South Africa. In this video clip The Jolly Boys prepare to journey to London with a toast to all the fans in the UK and a rehearsal of the classic mento hit “Emmanuel Road”.
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The Jolly Boys have been making strides and swaying crowds touring as R&B songbird Sade’s opening act in Europe, and all while celebrating the U.S release of their widely acclaimed album Great Expectation. The album, which features Mento interpretations of 12 contemporary classics including Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab”, Iggy Pop’s “The Passenger”, Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day” and Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” has been getting reviews from the press all over.



The album was recently reviewed by Banning Eyre of NPR‘s “All Things Considered”. You can listen to the review (spliced with great samples from the album) here:
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Yesterday (May 3, 2011) marked the highly anticipated first North American release of The Jolly Boys’ album Great Expectation which features Modern Mento interpretations of 12 contemporary classics including Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab”, Iggy Pop’s “The Passenger”, Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day” and Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire”. Though the album has only been live for a little over 24 hrs it is already being well received by fans and critics in the U.S.



Mento is the original sound of Jamaica and a forerunner to reggae and ska, the two genres of music Jamaica is most known for. Modern mento is the name given to the new genre birthed by The Jolly Boys with Great Expectation. Among a number of other media outlets, the album was reviewed yesterday by Dan Aquilante of the New York Post and this is what he had to say:
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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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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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We are proud to announce that Jamaica’s septuagenarian Kings of Mento The Jolly Boys have been nominated for the island’s 2011 Excellence In Music and Entertainment (EME) Awards in the Breakthrough Artist of the Year category!



The 7th annual EME Awards will again recognise the top performers within the Jamaican Recording Industry. Awards will be handed out in approximately 30 categories including Deejay of the Year, Best New Artiste, Song of the Year, Vocalist of the year and Producer of the year. Winners will be determined based on their performance on The Weekly Jamaica Music Countdown (Charts), votes via texts and votes at the website www.emeawards.com. The ceremony will be held on Saturday, March 12 at the East Lawns of the historical Devon House in Kingston.
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The Jolly Boys are on their way to Los Angeles to perform at a private party during the 53rd Annual GRAMMY award celebrations. This is the first time The Jolly Boys have traveled to the west coast of America and in just a few weeks they’ll be headed to the Hiro Ballroom in New York for thier east coast debut!



Dubbed “music’s biggest night” the GRAMMY’s are the only peer-presented award to honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position. The awards will take place in Los Angeles at Staples Center on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011. Photos and video clips will be uploaded during the course of the trip so be sure to stay tuned for updates on The Jolly Boys in L.A!

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!