Mento Buru is a 7-piece band that combines Latin alternative sounds, Jamaican SKA, rock, funk, Latin jazz, and reggae creating a genre defying live musical experience.
What started out as just a bunch of friends jamming for backyard parties in 1992, has evolved into a cross-cultural phenomenon all over California! Born during the ska craze and grunge era of the early 90s and signed to the Moon Ska and Steadybeat Recordings labels, Mento Buru was all about having fun playing the music we love with some of the best musicians in the area. Over the years, the group has shared stages with artists as diverse as The Specials, Fishbone, Poncho Sanchez, Los Lobos, WAR, The Aquabats, MALO, Ozomatli, Wailing Souls, Salvador Santana, Pete Escovedo Orchestra, and countless others in the reggae, jazz, ska, and rock world! Venues include BB Kings, The Whisky, The Roxy, The Fox Theater, Buck Owens' Crystal Palace, Temblor Brewing, countless SoCal and west coast venues, and every dive bar in Bakersfield from Jerry's Pizza, Bam Bam's, Fishlips to The Gate and every backyard beer bash held in every corner of the county limits.
Many band alumni have gone onto great careers on the world stage including: Keyboardist Dennis Hamm (Thundercat), Marcos Reyes (WAR), Rudy Parris (The Voice, The Buckaroos), and Mike Ransom (Adema).
Following the overwhelming response to the group's first holiday EP "East Bakersfield Christmas" in 2020, the band released "Skalloween" a 6-song tribute to Bakersfield music icons Buck Owens and Ronnie Cook available NOW at all digital streaming platforms!
