Harry Belafonte

Beyond this label, the "King of Calypso" proved to be a protean singer of folk and pop in the 1950s and 1960s, in addition to his commitment to civil rights. Born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr. in New York's Harlem district on March 1, 1927, to a maid and a cook of Jamaican and Dutch descent, he spent part of his childhood with his grandmother in Jamaica, where he immersed himself in the Caribbean musical tradition. Returning to the U.S. in 1944, he took drama classes and rubbed shoulders with the artistic world of musical comedy. After joining Monte Kay's Royal Roost, he sang on Broadway and won a Tony Award in 1954 for his first role in John Murray Anderson's Almanac, before starring in Otto Preminger's Carmen Jones. Signed to the RCA Victor label, Harry Belafonte enjoyed huge success with the album Calypso (1956), which sold a million copies and earned him the nickname "King of Calypso". The 31-week Billboard No.1 album included the mento classic "Day-O (Banana Boat Song)", a cover that he popularized worldwide, earning him a Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 2009. Now popular, the singer took on other film roles and hosted the Emmy Award-winning TV variety show Tonight with Belafonte (1959). He is also known for his commitment to the struggle for equal civil rights, and as such was appointed by President John F. Kennedy as a cultural consultant in the Peace Corps, a position he held for five years, alongside his singing activities. His folk and pop albums include Island in the Sun (1957), Love Is a Gentle Thing (1959), Belafonte at Carnegie Hall (1959), Belafonte Sings the Blues (1960), Jump Up Calypso (1961) and two duet recordings, An Evening with Belafonte/Makeba (with Miriam Makeba, 1965) and An Evening with Belafonte/Mouskouri (with Nana Mouskouri, 1966). Harry Belafonte remained active throughout the 1970s, alternating between recording and touring. In 1984, he wrote the music for the film Beat Street, about the rap scene in the Bronx. The following year, he took part in the USA for Africa collective for the charity song "We Are the World". Appointed Goodwill Ambassador for Unicef in 1987, the artist continued his commitment in the 2000s, receiving the Ambassador of Conscience award from Amnesty International in 2013. Winner of four Grammy Awards (1960, 1965, 1986 and 2000), Kennedy Center Honors (1989) and Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur by France in 2021, Harry Belafonte died of heart failure on April 25, 2023, at the age of 96.