Do you know the Banana Boat Song? It’s the one that goes “Day-O! Me day Day-O! Daylight come and me wan’ go home”.
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For me that song is synonymous with Harry Belafonte. It’s one of his signature songs and it’s iconic like he is. Seriously he’s 93 and still going. Living legend! ⁣
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Harry Belafonte is not Trinidadian. And in my imagination everyone on reading that statement did an audible gasp and dropped their phones in shock, wondering how I let a non-Trinidadian slip into my Black History Month 2020 series. But bear with me. ⁣
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He may not be Trinidadian but he has Jamaican roots and even more importantly he was dubbed the “King of Calypso” in the 1950s. His breakthrough album was called Calypso and it was the first LP by any artist to sell a million copies within a year. Not just by a Black artist. By ANY freaking artist in the world. ⁣
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In case you didn’t know Calypso music is the music of Trinidad. That’s what made him famous – Trini music!!! I claim him as an honorary Trini and am proud to tell his story today. ⁣
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He was the first black man to win a Tony award. He has 3 Grammy awards to his name. He is also a movie star having starred in big screen films like Island in the Sun. ⁣
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He also used his fame and platform for a host of good deeds. He was a civil rights campaigner and confidante of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He also advocated for the Anti-Apartheid Movement and has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 1987. ⁣
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So tell me in the comments. Did you know about Harry Belafonte? Do you know the song Day-O? Let me know!