rhythm and blues. Instruments used in soca music include Guitars, horns and percussive instruments. Soca music incorporates the habanera rhythm which is of Congolese origin. Mento Main article: mento Mento (also known as Jamaican calypso) is a type of afro-Caribbean folk music that originated in Jamaica. This genre was a precursor of other afro-Caribbean sub-genres such as ska and reggae. Mento incorporates African rhythmic elements, such as the drums, with European elements, such as the guitar and the use of melodies. Like other Jamaican music genres, mento places emphasis on the after-beat. Ska Main article: ska Ska is a fusion genre of mento combined with rhythm and blues, that began in Jamaica in the 1950s. Unlike American music, ska is defined by its emphasis on the after-beat instead of the downbeat. This means that emphasis is placed on the second and fourth beats of the 4/4 time signature. This emphasis on the after-beat is present in African rhythmic practices and mento music. Ska shows European influence through the use of guitars and horn instruments. This genre is a predecessor of another Jamaican sub-genre of afro-Caribbean music, Reggae. Reggae Main article: reggae Reggae is a variation of ska that emerged in the 1960s in Jamaica. The lyrics in reggae music are closely aligned with the Rastafarian religion and focus on themes of politics and spirituality. Through these lyrics, reggae has made public the issues of the poverty and inequality present in Jamaica. Key Rastafarian philosophies contribute to the African influence of reggae music. These philosophies include African nationalism and a desire to live separate from European culture. Merengue Main article: merengue Merengue is an afro-Caribbean music subgenre that originated in the Dominican Republic. The Dominican merengue is a close variation of the Haitian mereng. Merengue incorporates many African elements such as the use of call and response invocations, drums and guiros. European elements that are included in merengue include use of the cuatro guitar, harmonic melodies and the accordion. Haitian Mereng Mereng originated in Haiti as a fusion genre of traditional African music mixed with European elements. The mereng is influenced by the African music genres of chica and calenda, and the European genre of contredanse. See also Caribbean music in the United Kingdom Music of the African diaspora Music of the Bahamas Music of Barbados Music of Belize Music of Colombia Music of Cuba Music of Dominica Music of the