Harry Belafonte
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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| - | + | '''Harry Belafonte''' (1927 – 2023) was a [[Jamaica–United States relations|Jamaican-American]] singer, actor and activist, who popularized [[calypso music]] with international audiences in the 1950s. He earned his career breakthrough with the album ''[[Calypso (album)|Calypso]]'' (1956), which was the first million-selling [[LP album|LP]] by a single artist. | |
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| - | '''Harry Belafonte''' (born '''Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.'''; March 1, 1927 – April 25, 2023) was a Jamaican-American singer, actor and activist, who popularized [[calypso music]] with international audiences in the 1950s. Belafonte is one of the few performers to have received [[List of EGOT winners|Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony (EGOT)]]. He earned his career breakthrough with the album ''[[Calypso (album)|Calypso]]'' (1956), which was the first million-selling [[LP album|LP]] by a single artist. | + | |
| Belafonte was best known for his recordings of "[[Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)]]", "[[Jump in the Line (Shake, Senora)]]", "[[Jamaica Farewell]]", and "[[Mary's Boy Child]]". He recorded and performed in many genres, including [[blues]], [[folk music|folk]], [[gospel music|gospel]], [[show tune]]s, and [[Great American Songbook|American standards]]. He also starred in films such as ''[[Carmen Jones (film)|Carmen Jones]]'' (1954), ''[[Island in the Sun (film)|Island in the Sun]]'' (1957), ''[[Odds Against Tomorrow]]'' (1959), ''[[Buck and the Preacher]]'' (1972), and ''[[Uptown Saturday Night]]'' (1974). He made his final screen appearance in [[Spike Lee]]'s ''[[BlacKkKlansman]]'' (2018). | Belafonte was best known for his recordings of "[[Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)]]", "[[Jump in the Line (Shake, Senora)]]", "[[Jamaica Farewell]]", and "[[Mary's Boy Child]]". He recorded and performed in many genres, including [[blues]], [[folk music|folk]], [[gospel music|gospel]], [[show tune]]s, and [[Great American Songbook|American standards]]. He also starred in films such as ''[[Carmen Jones (film)|Carmen Jones]]'' (1954), ''[[Island in the Sun (film)|Island in the Sun]]'' (1957), ''[[Odds Against Tomorrow]]'' (1959), ''[[Buck and the Preacher]]'' (1972), and ''[[Uptown Saturday Night]]'' (1974). He made his final screen appearance in [[Spike Lee]]'s ''[[BlacKkKlansman]]'' (2018). | ||
| Belafonte considered the actor, singer, and activist [[Paul Robeson]] a mentor, and he was a close confidant of [[Martin Luther King Jr.]] during the [[Civil Rights Movement]] of the 1950s and 1960s. He was a vocal critic of the policies of the [[Presidency of George W. Bush|George W. Bush]] and [[Donald Trump]] administrations. Belafonte acted as the [[American Civil Liberties Union]] celebrity ambassador for juvenile justice issues. | Belafonte considered the actor, singer, and activist [[Paul Robeson]] a mentor, and he was a close confidant of [[Martin Luther King Jr.]] during the [[Civil Rights Movement]] of the 1950s and 1960s. He was a vocal critic of the policies of the [[Presidency of George W. Bush|George W. Bush]] and [[Donald Trump]] administrations. Belafonte acted as the [[American Civil Liberties Union]] celebrity ambassador for juvenile justice issues. | ||
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| - | Belafonte won three [[Grammy Awards]] (including a [[Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award]]), an [[Emmy Award]], and a [[Tony Award]]. In 1989, he received the [[Kennedy Center Honors]]. He was awarded the [[National Medal of Arts]] in 1994. In 2014, he received the [[Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award]] at the Academy's [[Governors Awards#6th Annual Governors Awards|6th Annual Governors Awards]] and in 2022 was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] in the Early Influence category. | ||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
| *[[There is a Hole in My Bucket]] | *[[There is a Hole in My Bucket]] | ||
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Harry Belafonte, a New Yorker of Jamaican origin, released wildly popular "calypso" hit records in the period 1956-1958. In reality "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)" and "Jamaica Farewell" – both featured on Calypso (1956) and both written by Irving Burgie – were mento songs sold as calypso. Previously recorded Jamaican versions of these now classic "calypso" hits can be heard on the compilation Jamaica - Mento 1951-1958 (2009). Louise Bennett-Coverley gave Harry Belafonte the foundation for his 1956 hit "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)" by telling him about the Jamaican folk song "Hill and Gully Rider" (the name also given as "Day Dah Light")." "Jamaica Farewell" was compiled and modified from many folk pieces to make a new song. Burgie acknowledged his use of the tune of another mento, "Iron Bar"".--Sholem Stein |
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Harry Belafonte (1927 – 2023) was a Jamaican-American singer, actor and activist, who popularized calypso music with international audiences in the 1950s. He earned his career breakthrough with the album Calypso (1956), which was the first million-selling LP by a single artist.
Belafonte was best known for his recordings of "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)", "Jump in the Line (Shake, Senora)", "Jamaica Farewell", and "Mary's Boy Child". He recorded and performed in many genres, including blues, folk, gospel, show tunes, and American standards. He also starred in films such as Carmen Jones (1954), Island in the Sun (1957), Odds Against Tomorrow (1959), Buck and the Preacher (1972), and Uptown Saturday Night (1974). He made his final screen appearance in Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman (2018).
Belafonte considered the actor, singer, and activist Paul Robeson a mentor, and he was a close confidant of Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. He was a vocal critic of the policies of the George W. Bush and Donald Trump administrations. Belafonte acted as the American Civil Liberties Union celebrity ambassador for juvenile justice issues.
See also
