THE JOLLY BOYS

LIVE IN NEW YORK

The Jolly Boys is a MENTO BAND from Port Antonio, Jamaica. It was formed in 1955 and had great commercial success in the late 1980s and 1990s among reggae and world music fans. 

The Jolly Boys grew out of a group called the Navy Island Swamp Boys that formed in the late 1940s or early 1950s and often played at Errol Flynn’s parties. This group included Moses Deans on banjo and guitar, Noel Lynch on Guitar and “Papa” Brown on rumba box After this group split in 1955, Deans and Brown formed The Jolly Boys (a name Errol Flynn is said to have coined) with Derrick “Johnny” Henry on marracas & drum, Martell Brown on guitar, and David “Sonny” Martin on guitar. One of the group’s regular substitutes in this period was percussionist Allan Swymmer, who joined the group as a full member in the 1960s. This group was very popular throughout Port Antonio and earned the reputation of being the finest mento band in the parish.

The Jolly Boys are :

The Foundation Group:
Albert Minott : vocals, guitar
Joseph ‘Powder’ Bennett : backing vocals, maracas and ‘vibes’
Derrick ‘Johnny’ Henry : marumba box and backing vocals
Allan Swymmer : percussion
Egbert Watson : banjo

The New Blood: Donald Waugh : banjo
Lenford “Brutus” Richards : guitar
Dale Virgo : percussion

Mento was the music of the Jamaican dancehalls before ska, rocksteady and reggae came along. A people’s music typically played in the countryside on acoustic–often homemade–instruments, it dates to the late 19th century. Its lyrics often dealt with rude or slack topics, or addressed the social issues of the day. Although often confused with calypso (largely because calling it “calypso” was a handy way of marketing it to tourists who didn’t know any better), it has a rawness and rhythmic feel that is uniquely Jamaican.