In the vibrant landscape of Jamaican popular music, a beloved early classic is making a comeback: Larry and The Mento Boys’ 2013 album *Jamaica Farewell*, a collection of iconic mento tracks, is set to be reissued this summer by Tad’s International Record. The project anchors itself to the original *Hill And Gully*, a foundational mento standard that has recently seen new popularity as the inspiration for the viral Hill And Gully riddim from acclaimed dancehall producer Stephen “Di Genius” McGregor, led by Masicka’s bold hit track Slip & Slide.
The reissued *Jamaica Farewell* features 18 tracks, drawing heavily from the core mento songbook. Standouts include fan-favorite staples like the patriotic *Island In The Sun*, *Shame And Scandal*, *Big Bamboo*, and the album’s namesake *Hill And Gully*. Beyond traditional mento fare, the album also includes the band’s distinctive interpretations of three Bob Marley classics — *No Woman No Cry*, *Three Little Birds*, and *One Drop* — plus a cover of *Ma & Pa*, the track that first rose to fame through Trinidadian performer Lord Creator.
Tad Dawkins, founder and leader of Tad’s International Record, shared the backstory of the re-release with Jamaica’s *Observer Online*. He explained he was first introduced to Larry and The Mento Boys by veteran broadcaster and performer Bob Clarke, who spent decades entertaining guests at tourist hotels across Jamaica’s St Ann and St Mary parishes, where he built a longstanding connection with the band.
“There’s something timeless about mento that carries listeners back to simpler, earlier days, and the tracks on this album are genuinely great,” Dawkins said. “Even today, there remains a strong, dedicated market for authentic Jamaican mento music.”
For many music scholars, mento holds the distinction of being Jamaica’s first commercially popular genre, laying the cultural and sonic groundwork for reggae and dancehall that would rise to global fame in later decades. The genre broke through to mainstream audiences across the 1940s and 1950s, driven by charismatic performers like Lord Flea, who earned enough international notoriety to appear on iconic U.S. variety programs including *The Perry Como Show*.
Mento retained its place on Jamaican radio through the 1970s, even as roots-reggae dominated the national music scene, largely thanks to the work of legendary artist Stanley Beckford. Beckford scored multiple major hits with tracks like *Soldering* — which later received a high-profile cover from pop duo Hall and Oates — *Broom Weed*, and *Leave my Kiselo*, and he took home top honors at Jamaica’s Festival Song Competition on multiple occasions.
In more recent decades, Portland-based group The Jolly Boys have led a renewed interest in traditional mento. Their 2010 album *Great Expectation* earned rave reviews from leading international outlets including *The New York Times*, and opened the door for the band to headline tour dates across the United States and United Kingdom, introducing the genre to a whole new generation of global listeners.