✊Black History Harold George Harry Belafonte, Jr. born March 1, 1927 is an American singer, songwriter, actor and social activist born to Jamaician and Martinique parents. One of the most successful African-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 in 1956 is the first million selling album by a single artist. 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 Premingers hit musical Carmen Jones 1954 with Dorothy Dandridge, 1957s Island in the Sun, and Robert Wises Odds Against Tomorrow 1959. Belafonte was an early supporter of the civil rights movement in the 1950s, 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 administrations. #blackhistory #legend #musician #classy #livinglegend #handsomeman
Posted on: Mon, 03 Feb 2014 01:01:41 +0000