Okay, I've fallen out of my countdown to 100, but I'm gonna get back to it. Starting with Mr. Harry Belafonte (1927–2023), inspired by a tribute concert we went to today—streamed live from Lincoln Center, with Renee Marie singing, arrangements by Etienne Charles, and a stellar ensemble featuring piano, bass, trombone, guitar, drums, and Charles on trumpet, flugelhorn, and percussion. It was delightful. Thanks to Carmel's Sunset Center for sponsoring it, for free!
I can't feature the concert here, but I can post a few videos. Starting with the "Banana Boat Song," aka Day-O, told from the perspective of a laborer cutting bananas; the performance is from 1960:
Though you might know the song from the Tim Burton movie Beetlejuice:
And here's "Jamaica Farewell," from the Ed Sullivan Show in 1956:
Belafonte popularized calypso, acted in movies, was a confidant to Martin Luther King Jr., and served as a celebrity ambassador for juvenile justice issues with the American Civil Liberties Union. Calling Paul Robeson his mentor in the civil rights realm, he spoke out strongly against George W. Bush and Donald Trump, and endorsed Bernie Sanders in 2016. He died last year at the age of 96.
Here's a lovely interview with and profile of him on 60 Minutes from 1997:
And finally, a "life and legacy" look-back upon his death:
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