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Count Lasher

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One of the mento singers who recorded through the 1950s, in the wave of Jamaican records made just before ska. His songs work the way mento does — topical, funny and pointed about hard circumstances — and belong to the period when Jamaica was recording its own music commercially for the first time.

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Videos

Talking Parrot (7 inch) — Porter Calypso Star Band, vocal by Count Lasher

YOUTUBE · rights discovery only · performs

Transfer of a 1957 Records Ltd. pressing, sung by Count Lasher with Hubert Porter's band. Identified via web search; not verified from the seeding environment.

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Count Lasher with Charlie Binger's Six — Calabash

YOUTUBE · rights discovery only · performs

Upload of a Count Lasher mento side. Identified via web search; not verified from the seeding environment.

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Count Lasher: Vol 1 (collection)

YOUTUBE · rights discovery only · example

Collected Count Lasher sides. Identified via web search; not verified from the seeding environment.

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Audio

Count Lasher - Count Lasher Rides (Mento not Calypso) Jamaica

YOUTUBE · rights discovery only · performs

Public youtube upload; embedded as a discovery-only reference pending editorial review.

View transcript · 68 lines

Automatic captions — a machine draft pending editorial review.

  1. 0:03[Music]
  2. 0:11yes I went to the races to Fed some
  3. 0:14yes I went to the races to Fed some dough on the horses L went to the races
  4. 0:18dough on the horses L went to the races
  5. 0:18dough on the horses L went to the races to bet some door on the horses on
  6. 0:20to bet some door on the horses on
  7. 0:20to bet some door on the horses on reaching the grounds a lady approached
  8. 0:21reaching the grounds a lady approached
  9. 0:21reaching the grounds a lady approached me wanting to know if I was a joy I told
  10. 0:24me wanting to know if I was a joy I told
  11. 0:24me wanting to know if I was a joy I told her no but it made no difference for I
  12. 0:26her no but it made no difference for I
  13. 0:26her no but it made no difference for I was a guy with experience so
  14. 0:31that is my
  15. 0:35intention I lose
  16. 0:37intention I lose [Music]
  17. 0:45[Music]
  18. 0:45[Music] my the lady then took me to a table and
  19. 0:49my the lady then took me to a table and
  20. 0:49my the lady then took me to a table and showed me her Philly I jumped in the
  21. 0:51showed me her Philly I jumped in the
  22. 0:51showed me her Philly I jumped in the saddle and started out for a hurle but
  23. 0:54saddle and started out for a hurle but
  24. 0:54saddle and started out for a hurle but entering the traps the bugle sounded the
  25. 0:56entering the traps the bugle sounded the
  26. 0:56entering the traps the bugle sounded the way the Lea I was almost grounded I my
  27. 0:59way the Lea I was almost grounded I my
  28. 0:59way the Lea I was almost grounded I my balance by grabbing the rain the phly
  29. 1:01balance by grabbing the rain the phly
  30. 1:01balance by grabbing the rain the phly was fast like an Express train
  31. 1:04was fast like an Express train
  32. 1:04was fast like an Express train so ah that is my
  33. 1:09intention I lose my
  34. 1:13[Music]
  35. 1:19profession well during the gallop my
  36. 1:22profession well during the gallop my foot was flipping out of the syrup we
  37. 1:25foot was flipping out of the syrup we
  38. 1:25foot was flipping out of the syrup we rounded a corner believe me I was almost
  39. 1:28rounded a corner believe me I was almost
  40. 1:28rounded a corner believe me I was almost a gner so I started timer Pride
  41. 1:31a gner so I started timer Pride
  42. 1:31a gner so I started timer Pride remembering How Daddy taught me to ride
  43. 1:33remembering How Daddy taught me to ride
  44. 1:33remembering How Daddy taught me to ride but coming in I made a narrow Escape she
  45. 1:35but coming in I made a narrow Escape she
  46. 1:35but coming in I made a narrow Escape she boled with me as a ver tape
  47. 1:39so that is my
  48. 1:44intention I lose my
  49. 1:46intention I lose my [Music]
  50. 1:54[Music]
  51. 1:54[Music] Prof the lady said to me L the double
  52. 1:57Prof the lady said to me L the double
  53. 1:57Prof the lady said to me L the double event is yours as a rer on hearing this
  54. 2:00event is yours as a rer on hearing this
  55. 2:00event is yours as a rer on hearing this really got nervous because the phly was
  56. 2:02really got nervous because the phly was
  57. 2:02really got nervous because the phly was heated and moous to cool the nerves are
  58. 2:04heated and moous to cool the nerves are
  59. 2:04heated and moous to cool the nerves are to a brandy boy and that double I was a
  60. 2:06to a brandy boy and that double I was a
  61. 2:06to a brandy boy and that double I was a Dandy I could hear her voice in this
  62. 2:08Dandy I could hear her voice in this
  63. 2:08Dandy I could hear her voice in this weet refrain that's your boy you have
  64. 2:10weet refrain that's your boy you have
  65. 2:10weet refrain that's your boy you have made your
  66. 2:13name that is my
  67. 2:18intention I lose my profession
  68. 2:21intention I lose my profession [Music]
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In stories

Debate & reception

How people argued about the music — praise, criticism and public debate. See all debate & reception →

debate

Mento or calypso? A question of Jamaican identity

A documented naming debate: mento was frequently marketed and referred to as 'calypso,' conflating it with the Trinidadian form; some framed this as harmless commercial shorthand, others as an erasure of mento's distinct Jamaican identity. Neutral framing; no verdict. Sources: Jamaica Gleaner archive; Rough Guide to Reggae.

Stance: mento's distinct Jamaican identity vs marketing it as Trinidadian calypso

debate

Mento's bawdy songs: rustic candour or colonial indecency?

Two documented positions on mento's sexual double-entendre, stated neutrally: defenders heard rural working-class humour and honest candour in the word-play, while respectable and colonial opinion condemned it as 'smutty' and low. Neutral framing; no verdict. Sources: Jamaica Gleaner archive; Carolyn Cooper, Noises in the Blood.

Stance: rural working-class humour and candour vs middle-class colonial indecency