Harry Belafonte

Harry Belafonte,Jamaica Farewell,live

https://youtu.be/X-PTafd-ymQ

Harry Belafonte - Banana Boat Song (live) 1997

https://youtu.be/9L9angh4KdQ
https://youtu.be/6Tou8-Cz8is

Harry Belafonte

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"Belafonte" redirects here. For his album, see Belafonte (album).

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Harry Belafonte
Belafonte at the Tribeca Film Festival Vanity Fair party, 2011
Born	Harold George Bellanfanti, Jr. March 1, 1927 (age 88) Harlem, Manhattan, New York City New York, U.S.
Nationality	American
Other names	Harold George Belefonte, Jr. Harry Belafonte, Jr.
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, actor, social activist
Years active	1947–present
Spouse(s)	Marguerite Byrd (1948–57) Julie Robinson (1957–2004) Pamela Frank (2008–present)
Website	www.singyoursongthemovie.com

Harold George "Harry" Bellanfanti, Jr. (born March 1, 1927), better known as Harry Belafonte, is an American singer, songwriter, actor, and social activist. One of the most successful Caribbean American pop stars in history, he was dubbed the "King of Calypso" for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s. His breakthrough album Calypso (1956) is the first million selling album by a single artist.^[1] Belafonte is perhaps best known for singing "The Banana Boat Song", with its signature lyric "Day-O". He has recorded in many genres, including blues, folk, gospel, show tunes, and American standards. He has also starred in several films, most notably in Otto Preminger's hit musical Carmen Jones (1954), Island in the Sun (1957) and Robert Wise's Odds Against Tomorrow (1959).
Belafonte was an early supporter of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and '60s, and one of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s confidants. Throughout his career he has been an advocate for humanitarian causes, such as the anti-apartheid movement and USA for Africa. Since 1987 he has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. In recent years he has been a vocal critic of the policies of both the George W. Bush and Barack Obama presidential administrations. Harry Belafonte now acts as the American Civil Liberties Union celebrity ambassador for juvenile justice issues.^[2]
Belafonte has won three Grammy Awards, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, an Emmy Award,^[3] 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 6th Annual Governors Awards. ^[4]

Contents

• 1 Early life
• 2 Music career
  • 2.1 Calypso
  • 2.2 Middle career
  • 2.3 Later recordings and other activities
• 3 Film career
• 4 Personal life
• 5 Political and humanitarian activism
  • 5.1 Civil Rights Movement activist
  • 5.2 Humanitarian activist
  • 5.3 Political activist
  • 5.4 Opposition to the George W. Bush administration
  • 5.5 Obama administration
• 6 Discography
• 7 Filmography
• 8 Television work
• 9 Concert videos
• 10 Stage work
• 11 See also
• 12 References
• 13 Further reading
• 14 External links