Jamaica Farewell
by Irving Burgie
This is one of the touchstone songs that Harry Belafonte sang in clubs and moved mento music into popular favor. Everybody seems to know it. It's a nice icebreaker in a group.
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Irving Burgie
"Jamaica Farewell" is a mento[1] about the beauties of the West Indian Islands.The lyrics for the song were written by Lord Burgess (Irving Burgie). Lord Burgess was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1926. His mother was from Barbados and his father was from Virginia. The song first appeared on Harry Belafonte's phenomenally successful album Calypso. It reached number fourteen on Billboard's Pop chart. Mento is a style of Jamaican folk music that predates and has greatly influenced ska and reggae music. Mento typically features acoustic instruments, such as acoustic guitar, banjo, hand drums, and the rhumba box — a large mbira in the shape of a box that can be sat on while played. The rhumba box carries the bass part of the music.
"Jamaica Farewell" is a mento[1] about the beauties of the West Indian Islands.The lyrics for the song were written by Lord Burgess (Irving Burgie). Lord Burgess was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1926. His mother was from Barbados and his father was from Virginia. The song first appeared on Harry Belafonte's phenomenally successful album Calypso. It reached number fourteen on Billboard's Pop chart. Mento is a style of Jamaican folk music that predates and has greatly influenced ska and reggae music. Mento typically features acoustic instruments, such as acoustic guitar, banjo, hand drums, and the rhumba box — a large mbira in the shape of a box that can be sat on while played. The rhumba box carries the bass part of the music.
Here below is a version in C, and another in A. Try them both and see which one your voice likes better.
The key is the Singer's choice, not the other way around. Experiment with different keys to find your sweet spot.
The key is the Singer's choice, not the other way around. Experiment with different keys to find your sweet spot.
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