Did you know that the legendary Calypso music icon Harry Belafonte was not born in the Caribbean?
Belafonte was born as Harold George Bellanfanti Jr. on March 1st 1927 in Harlem, New York and not in Jamaica as many people believe. However, his mother was of Jamaican descent and Belafonte lived with his paternal grandmother in Jamaica for several years during the 1930s.
After a short stint as a Pop and Jazz singer, Belafonte entered the arena of Calypso music with his ‘Calypso’ album. The LP remained at #1 on the Billboard 200 for 31 weeks between 1956 and 1957, bolstered by his signature hit, ‘The Banana Boat Song’. Listen to the tune below: