From My Collection - Harry Belafonte: Jump Up Calypso

By Richard K. Barry

This is an album by Harry Belafonte, an American singer, songwriter, and actor. It was released in 1961.

Belafonte has also been a social activist of some significance for much of his life. I'm currently working my way through his autobiography, which came out last year. It's called My Song: A Memoir.

Besides covering his rise an an entertainer and his own struggles as a black man in the '50s and '60s dealing with racism in his profession, it also tells of his intimate involvement in the civil rights movement, including his association with Martin Luther King. It's a good read.

In the '50s, Belafonte was known as the "King of Calypso" for bringing the Caribbean style of music to a wider audience. Likely his best known song is "The Banana Boat Song," with the signature lyric "Day-O."

He was born in Harlem to a mother of Jamaican decent, and though he spent time in the Caribbean growing up, as he notes in his book, his status as an American citizen may have saved him from being deported at various times for his social activism. Though we don't have the time or space to cover much of his activism, it was significant, as was his success as a performer, which helped him bankroll many of his political and social interests over the years. All in all, a very interesting story.

While known best for Calypso music, he recorded in many styles, including blues, folk, show tunes, and American standards.

Jump Up Calypso reached number three on the Billboard Pop Album Chart. Tracks are:

Side One:

Sweetheart from Venezuela (Alexander, Gordon)

Go Down Emanuel Road (Irving Burgie)

The Baby Boy (Alexander, Claverly)

Gloria (Ryan)

Land of Sea and Son (Burgie)

Goin' Down Jordon (Burgie, Woods)

Side Two:

Jump in the Line (Bell)

Kingston Market (Burgie)

Monkey (Burgie, Span)

These are the Times (Burgie)

Bally Mena (Burgie, Robert de Cormier)

Angelina (Burgie)

If you've bothered to read this list carefully, you may be wondering who Irving Burgie is. Here's a part of the Songwriters Hall of Fame entry for him:

Irving Burgie has long been acknowledged as one of the greatest composers of Caribbean music. His songs to date have sold over 100 million records throughout the world. Irving's classic Caribbean standards include such familiar hits as "Day-O," "Jamaica Farewell," "Island In The Sun," "Angelina," and he was co-writer of "Mary's Boy Child."

Irving Burgie has written some 35 songs recorded by Harry Belafonte, including 8 of the 11 songs on Harry's 1956 album, Calypso (the first album in America to sell over one million copies). Irving penned songs for the Kingston Trio ("The Seine," "El Matador," and "The Wanderer") and for other groups. His song "Day-O" appears in the "We Are The World" video, and is featured in the hit film Beetlejuice.

Since we are talking about Calypso music, I thought it might be appropriate also to acknowledge Burgie. It is amazing that 35 songs of his were recorded by Harry Belafonte. "Day-O," as noted, was featured in the film Beetlejuice. Another song featured in that film is "Jump in the Line," which is actually on Jump Up Calypso, the album we are discussing here, both songs performed by Harry Belafonte in the movie.

Here's a clip of "Jump in the Line" as it appeared in Beetlejuice, a film directed by Tim Burton and starring Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Michael Keaton, and Winona Ryder. Always loved this scene.

(Cross-posted at Lippmann's Ghost.)