Remembering the singer, actor, and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte
Known as the “King of Calypso,” he popularized Caribbean music worldwide while advocating for social justice and humanitarian causes
Remembering the singer, actor, and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte
The American singer, actor, and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte was born on March 1, 1927, in Harlem, New York City. Known as the “King of Calypso,” he popularized Caribbean music worldwide while advocating for social justice and humanitarian causes.
Belafonte spent part of his childhood in Jamaica, his mother’s homeland, before returning to New York. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and later pursued acting at The New School’s Dramatic Workshop, where he studied alongside Marlon Brando and Sidney Poitier.
His music career took off in the 1950s, blending folk, calypso, and pop. His breakthrough album, Calypso (1956), became the first LP by a solo artist to sell over a million copies, featuring the classic song “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song).”
Belafonte was married three times and had four children. He was a close friend of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and played a major role in the civil rights movement, helping fund the 1963 March on Washington and supporting African and humanitarian causes throughout his life.
Beyond his music, Belafonte had a successful acting career, starring in films such as Carmen Jones (1954), Island in the Sun (1957) and Buck and the Preacher (1972). He was also an UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and received numerous honors, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and the National Medal of Arts.
Harry Belafonte passed away on April 25, 2023, at the age of 96 in his home in Manhattan, New York City due to congestive heart failure.
Look back at Harry Belafonte performing his popular song “Banana Boat Song” in 1960 live in Japan
Watch more music related videos
Images and photographs can be from different ranges of sources such as Pinterest, Tumblr etc. except when/where noted. If you are the copyright holder and would like them removed or credited, please get in touch.
