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Jamaica Work songs are the oldest and largest of the musical traditions in Jamaica. These songs originated among slaves in Jamaica and they were used to express their feelings of turmoil. The rhymes of these work songs were often patterned to the activities or tools that they used such as a pick and shovels. Verses often attached between a leader and a chorus. This followed an African tradition of something-called Call and Response. Sometimes people passing on the street sang the chorus. One of the best features of this folk music is that the songs often carry a carefree mood even though slaves lived a hard life. Jamaica also has a lot of traditional local music. In the maroon villages ancient forms of music and dance have survived. It is a way for them to keep their culture alive. Calypso is a form of music that has come to be associated with Jamaica but it's very unlike the true native music. Mento is music of Jamaica and it's a type of music that varies significantly from other forms of Caribbean music. It is a folk music that blends African rhymes with tunes that can be heard in English Folk songs. The term Mento is used to describe the words, dance steps and the music. The words of Mento often tell a