Harry Belafonte, activist and entertainer, dies at 96

Harry Belafonte, activist and entertainer, dies at 96

Harry Belafonte, a musician, actor, and human rights advocate, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 96 from congestive heart failure. He overcame racial boundaries and managed to combine his artistic talent with his advocacy in a way that captivated audiences all over the world. According to his spokesperson, Belafonte, an EGOT recipient for his Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony accolades, passed away at home in New York.

Harry Belafonte's performance was characterized by style, refinement, and charisma. His recordings for RCA Victor in the 1950s, which featured his well-known rendition of the Jamaican folk song "Day-O" (also known as "The Banana Boat Song"), helped to launch the calypso music craze. At a period when much of America was still segregated, audiences of all races appreciated Harry Belafonte for his good looks and shirt that was left unbuttoned to his chest.

 

Harlem is where Belafonte was born. His mother was Jamaican and his father was from the island of Martinique; both of his parents were from the Caribbean. His mother, a cleaning lady, took him back to Jamaica, where he was exposed to the local way of life.

The musician claimed to have been influenced by the street vendors' singing when he recorded "The Banana Boat Song" in 2011, according to an interview with NPR.

"The song is a work song," he declared. "It's about men who work hard all day but receive low pay. They are pleading with the tallyman to come and accurately count the bananas they have harvested so they can be paid. People don't fully comprehend that they are singing a work song that is a song of revolt when they sing in ecstasy, dance, and adore the song.

And the rebellious song was a hit. The best-selling album Calypso spent several weeks in 1956 at the top of Billboard's then-recently established album charts.

Harry Belafonte joined the Navy after quitting high school in the past. He was working as a janitor's helper after serving in World War II when he received tickets to a performance at the American Negro Theatre from a friend. He was enthralled.

Along with Ruby Dee and Sidney Poitier, he began his schooling there. He also began performing in clubs. He received a recording contract rather quickly.

He was honored with a Tony Award in 1954 for his performance in the revue "John Murray Anderson's Almanac: A Musical Harlequinade." He appeared on TV variety shows and as a movie star. He received a one-hour show on CBS in 1959. The program, The Revlon Revue: Tonight With Belafonte, featured both Black and white performers as well as dance numbers and folk tunes. The show received the first Emmy Award for an African American.