Belafonte also appeared in another well-received musical revue, 3 for Tonight, in 1955.Īround this time, Belafonte launched his film career. Moviesĭuring this time, Belafonte was finding success as an actor: Debuting on Broadway in 1953, he won a Tony Award the following year for his work in John Murray Anderson's Almanac, in which he performed several of his own songs. He became an avid student of traditional folk songs from around the world and performed in such New York City clubs as the Village Vanguard. In 1949 he landed his first recording deal.īy the early 1950s, Belafonte had dropped popular music from his repertoire in favor of folk. Backed by such talented musicians as Charlie Parker and Miles Davis, Belafonte became a popular act at the club. Along with appearing in AMT productions, he caught the eye of music agent Monte Kay, who offered Belafonte the opportunity to perform at a jazz club called the Royal Roost. Mesmerized by the performance, the young Navy vet volunteered to work for the AMT as a stagehand, eventually deciding to become an actor.īelafonte studied drama at the Dramatic Workshop run by Erwin Piscator, where his classmates included Marlon Brando, Walter Matthau and Bea Arthur. He returned to New York City after his discharge and was working as a janitor's assistant when he first attended a production at the American Negro Theater (AMT). "My mother gave me affection, but, because I was left on my own, also a lot of anguish." Early Careerĭropping out of high school, Belafonte enlisted in the U.S. "The most difficult time in my life was when I was a kid," he later told People magazine. They struggled in poverty, and Belafonte was often cared for by others while his mother worked. There, he saw firsthand the oppression of Black people by the English authorities, which left a lasting impression on him.īelafonte returned to New York City's Harlem neighborhood in 1940 to live with his mother. His mother worked as a dressmaker and a house cleaner, and his father served as a cook on merchant ships, before leaving the family when Belafonte was a young boy.īelafonte also spent much of his early years in Jamaica, his mother's native country. was born on March 1, 1927, in New York City, to Caribbean immigrants.
#Banana song day o professional#
His professional career took off with the musical Carmen Jones, and soon he was burning up the charts with hits like "The Banana Boat Song (Day-O)" and "Jump in the Line." Belafonte has also championed many social and political causes, and earned such prestigious accolades as the National Medal of Arts. Harry Belafonte struggled with poverty and turbulent family life as a child.
0 kommentar(er)
