What The Critics Say
Belafonte's second album includes songs featured in the Broadway production of Three for Tonight, which starred Belafonte along with Gower and Marge Champion. The collection again featured a variety of material, which would become a hallmark with his albums up until the mid-1960s. But now, for the first time, the power of Belafonte's interpretive skills become apparent, especially with songs culled from field recordings of chain gangs and southern prisons. "Jump Down, Spin Around" and "Sylvie" were both popularized by Leadbelly. The hammer song "Water Boy" and the spirituals "Take My Mother Home" and "Noah" are among the most powerful performances in Belafonte's career. Also included is Belafonte's second recording of one of his most requested songs, the calypso "Matilda." This version was far superior to his first effort, released only on a single in 1953. This album was swept along with the success of Belafonte's next release, the million-selling Calypso, and was #1 on Billboard's album charts for six weeks, remaining on the charts for over a year. ~ Cary Ginell, All Music Guide
'An Evening with Belafonte'
What The Critics Say
Riding high on the success of the Calypso album, Harry Belafonte went back to doing what he had started out to do: record a variety of folk songs from different cultures around the world. This album exhibited his widest scope of selections yet, including songs from Haiti ("Merci Bon Dieu"), Israel ("Hava Nageela"), and Mexico ("Cu Cu Ru Cu Cu Paloma"), the latter a six minute tour de force. Although Belafonte would never score with a single as big as "Day O" again, An Evening With Belafonte did include the West Indian Christmas song "Mary's Boy Child," which became a huge seller in Great Britain. It was becoming apparent that Harry Belafonte was not interested in having hit singles, but only to present his albums as miniature lessons in global folk music. ~ Cary Ginell, All Music Guide
'An Evening with Harry Belafonte & Friends'
What The Critics Say
An Evening With Harry Belafonte & Friends is an album to accompany the live performance of the same shown on PBS television stations in 1997. It is a remarkable album, especially considering Belafonte's longevity. The album contains multiple songs dealing with oppression and freedom, as it is one of Belafonte's major endeavors. There are some beautiful pieces written by guitarist Richard Bona, of Cameroon, such as "Eyala" and "Eyando." Also, Jake Holmes provides numerous compositions that seem surely made solely for the soul of Belafonte. Of course, a Harry Belafonte album wouldn't be complete without Lord Burgess' "Jamaica Farewell" or "Day-O," so they are included as well. The main highlight on the album, though, is "Matilda," which is something of a calypso standard in itself. Belafonte turns the piece into a full-fledged, ten-minute tour de force, pulling out every stop that calypso can afford to make, in all its beauty. The video is a worthwhile piece by itself, but the album is also a worthy pick. ~ Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide
'Live in Concert at the Carnegie Hall'
What The Critics Say
Although an initial glance might not tip off even the most observant of consumers, this German two-disc set includes the entire contents of the 1959 double-LP Belafonte at Carnegie Hall [LP]. In North America, the title was reissued in the early '90s. Sadly, it was a considerably truncated single CD. Compiled from two benefit concerts -- on June 19 and 20, 1959, respectively -- at the venerable Carnegie Hall, Belafonte's mesmerizing performances exemplify his enormous capacity as more than just a folk and jazz vocalist. Although marketed as the "King of Calypso," Belafonte sheds that erroneous image in favor of a more accurate persona as a seasoned entertainer whose visceral theatrical faculties allow him the ability to inhabit the songs he sings and stories he tells. This 19-song set contains highlights from most of his studio albums, with the exception of the seasonal offering Belafonte Sings of Christmas and the critically acclaimed Porgy & Bess -- which was a collaborative effort with Lena Horne. Instrumentally, Belafonte has a diverse pallet from which to draw, ranging from the intimacy of a single acoustic guitar and hand percussion combo to the immensity of a 47-piece orchestra. For maximum effect, the musical arrangements often incorporate dimensions of both -- which is how Live in Concert at the Carnegie Hall commences. The brief "Introduction" is a free-flowing orchestral overture to the entire performance. As it builds and crescendos, only bongos, acoustic guitar, and the unrelenting vocal authority of Belafonte remain, yielding a most dramatic segue into "Darlin' Cora." The liner notes -- reprinted from the original gatefold two-record set -- explain that these performances contained three acts: "Moods of the American Negro," "In the Caribbean," and "'Round the World." From here, the 90-plus minute set is derived, including many audience favorites that would become synonymous with Belafonte and would remain in his repertoire for the entirety of his performance career. The incredible range of material includes a fiery "John Henry," the sublime serenity of "Jamaica Farewell," as well as his hits "Day O" and "Man Smart (Woman Smarter)." As a guide between the songs, he talks about his heritage and the impact that music has had throughout his life and travels. "Man Piaba," a calypso retelling of a "facts of life" lesson, is a consummate example of how Belafonte seamlessly weaves his stories into songs. This climaxes with a ten-plus minute audience participatory version of "Matilda," in which different sections of the orchestra, acoustic combo, and even audience are encouraged to sing along. As not to disenfranchise anyone and all in the best of fun, Belafonte even solicits responses from such unlikely participants as "women over 40" and "people on scholarship." It is this type of unification of all peoples -- through song and personal discovery -- that became the bedrock of Belafonte's enormous popularity regardless of age, sex, or race. Live in Concert at the Carnegie Hall captures the essence of the performer in his prime. ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
This is the album that made Harry Belafonte's career. Up to this point, calypso had only been a part of Belafonte's focus in his recordings of folk music styles. But with this landmark album, calypso not only became tattooed to Belafonte permanently; it had a revolutionary effect on folk music in the 1950s and '60s. The album consists of songs from Trinidad, mostly written by West Indian songwriter Irving Burgie (aka Lord Burgess). Burgie's two most successful songs are included -- "Day O" and "Jamaica Farewell" (which were both hit singles for Belafonte) -- as are the evocative ballads "I Do Adore Her" and "Come Back Liza" and what could be the first feminist folk song, "Man Smart (Woman Smarter)." Calypso became the first million-selling album by a single artist, spending an incredible 31 weeks at the top of the Billboard album charts, remaining on the charts for 99 weeks. It triggered a veritable tidal wave of imitators, parodists, and artists wishing to capitalize on its success. Years later, it remains a record of inestimable influence, inspiring many folksingers and groups to perform, most notably the Kingston Trio, which was named for the Jamaican capital. For a decade, just about every folksinger and folk group featured in their repertoire at least one song that was of West Indian origin or one that had a calypso beat. They all can be attributed to this one remarkable album. Despite the success of Calypso, Belafonte refused to be typecast. Resisting the impulse to record an immediate follow-up album, Belafonte instead spaced his calypso albums apart, releasing them at five-year intervals in 1961, 1966, and 1971. ~ Cary Ginell, All Music Guide
'The Tradition of Christmas'
'Paradise in Gazankulu'
What The Critics Say
In 1988, Harry Belafonte turned 61 years old. After releasing exactly one album of new material in fifteen years, Belafonte showed the world that he still had enough in him to issue a collection of vital, exciting music with a point of view. The cause that triggered this creative explosion was South Africa's apartheid system. Long an advocate of black sovereignty in the country, Belafonte combined anger, defiance, and pride in this invigorating selection of songs, recorded in Johannesburg and featuring South African artists such as Brenda Fassie and Youssou N'Dour. The wry, cynical humor in protest songs such as the title track, "Move It" and "Kwela (Listen to the Man)" hearken back to similarly constructed political songs from the West Indies. This album jumpstarted Belafonte's stalled recording career and was released along with concert videos of Belafonte and a variety of African recording artists supported by Kodak's home video division. Unfortunately, Belafonte has not been seen in the recording studio since. ~ Cary Ginell, All Music Guide
'Belafonte Concert in Japan'
What The Critics Say
This Japanese double LP was recorded on March 18, 1974, at the Nakano Sun Plazza Hall, Tokyo. ~ All Music Guide, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The Belafonte studio rut continued with this generally bland collection of ballads written by prominent folk-rock singer/songwriters. Traditional folk music had long since been forgotten, as had world music, at least as far as Belafonte's studio albums were concerned, and now it seemed that he was trying, almost desperately, to hang on to his aging audience. The song selection wasn't bad: James Taylor was represented by three tunes, "Something In the Way She Moves," "Circle 'Round the Sun," and "Rainy Day Man." Belafonte also sang versions of Tom Rush's "No Regrets" and Joni Mitchell's "The Circle Game." There was even an attempt to cover Gayle Caldwell's "Cycles," which Frank Sinatra had turned into a minor hit in 1968. But the arrangements by Robert Freedman and William Eaton were tepid, and although Belafonte, at 44, was still in top voice, he couldn't rise above the unimaginative arrangements alone. ~ Cary Ginell, All Music Guide
