Remembering the Talented Harry Belafonte, A Wonderful Legacy
Growing up in a Jamaican household with lots of music, Harry Belafonte was a big part of my parent’s musical culture. As a result, I ultimately come to admire and appreciate Belafonte and his musical talent. Later on, I would go on to briefly meet and work with Mr. Belafonte while I was recording the soundtrack for the movie Beat Street (1984). Mr.Belafonte gave me inspiration and drive during this time seeing his work and talent up close. In honoring his legacy, here at JAMBOX, we have decided to introduce his achievements both musically and culturally.
Harry Belafonte was an American singer, songwriter, activist, and actor born in Harlem in 1927. Born of Jamaican decent, he became one of the most successful and influential American pop stars in music history. He popularized Jamaican classics such as: “Banana Boat”, “Jump In the Line”, “Jamaica Farewell”, and “Matilda”.
Mr. Belafonte was dubbed the “King of Calypso” for popularizing the Caribbean musical style gaining an international audience in the 1950s. His breakthrough album Calypso (1956) is the first million-selling LP by a single artist. Once again, showing the impact of his musical talent and skills. He is best known for his recording of “The Banana Boat Song”, with it’s signature lyric “Day-O”. Belafonte won three Grammy Awards, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, an Emmy and a Tony. Very few achieve this amount in accolades, showing how admired he was across various industries. He also starred in several films, including Otto Preminger’s musical Carmen Jones (1954), Island in the Sun (1957), and Robert Wise’s Odds Against Tomorrow (1959).
Harry Belafonte: An Activist
While Harry Belafonte was a musical icon, he also had a great passion for people and working towards change. Belafonte was an early supporter of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 60’s, being one of Martin Luther King Jr.’s close confidants. Throughout his career, he was an advocate for political and humanitarian causes, such as the Anti-Apartheid Movement and USA for Africa. In 1987 Belafonte became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and stayed on until his passing. Furthermore, he had a major involvement with the iconic song, ‘We Are The World” by USA for Africa, where he performed alongside Micheal Jackson and Lionel Richie.
Harry Belafonte cared greatly for various causes especially for the American Civil Liberties Union. He became a celebrity ambassador for the ACLU working to change juvenile justice issues. Then, in 1989 he received the Kennedy Center Honors. He was later awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1994. And in 2014, he received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Academy’s 6th Annual Governors Awards. In that same year he was awarded with an honorary doctorate from the Berklee College of Music in Boston. This award acknowledged his musical contributions and impact on various generations.
Saying Goodbye to a Legend
Harry Belafonte led a great life, inspiring hundreds of people through his musical talent and passion for human rights and change. He impacted not only my life and musical journey but his work has continued to do so since his debut. Many consider him to be one of the greatest and most impactful musicians of our generation. Sadly Mr Belafonte died on April 25, 2023 at the age of 96 years but his legacy will live on forever. We thank him for all his hard work as a musician, actor, artist, and activist. He will continue to live on.
Written by Lee Evans