Jamaica Farewell
Harry Belafonte
Down the bay where the nights are gay
And the sun shines daily on the mountain top
I took a trip on a sailing ship
And when I reached Jamaica I made a stop
Chorus.....
But I'm sad to say I'm on my way
Won't be back for many a day
My heart is down, my head is turning around
I had to leave a little girl in Kingston town
Down the market you can hear
Ladies cry out while on their heads they bear
`Akey' rice, salt fish are nice
And the rum is fine any time of year
Sounds of laughter everywhere
And the dancing girls sway to and fro
I must declare my heart is there
Though I've been from Maine to Mexico
Chorus....
Grammy Lifetime Achievement winner
The American musician, singer, actor and social activist Harold
George 'Harry' Belatonte' Jr one of the most successful pop singers in
history was dubbed the 'King of Calypso' a title, which he was very
reluctant to accept, for popularising the Caribbean music style with an
international audience in the 1950s.
Belafonte started his career in music as a club singer in New York,
to pay for his acting classes. At first he launched off as a pop singer,
but later developed a keen interest in folk music learning material
through the American folk songs archives.
His signature first wide - release single was 'Matilda' which he
recorded in 1953. His breakthrough album Calypso in 1956 spent 31 weeks
on the Billboard Album Charts which earned him the title of King of
Calypso.
A string of hits followed including, 'Banana Boat Song' (Day O),
'Jump in the Line', 'Jamaica Farewell', 'Mama Looks a Boo - Boo'. A
special RCA recording artiste Harry Belafonte enjoyed both commercial
and critical successes from the 1950s to the 1970s.
He introduced a number of artiste to the American audiences most
notably South African singer Miriam Makeba and Greek singer Nana
Mouskouri. Belafonte who received the Kennedy Centre Honours in 1989,
the National Medal of Arts in 1994 and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement
Award in 2000 gave his last concert on October 25, 2003 a benefit
concert for the Atlanta Opera.
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