This brief anthology collects some of the highlights of
Harry Belafonte's long stint at RCA Victor from 1952 until his exit from the label's roster in 1972. While at RCA
Belafonte was instrumental in introducing world music styles into the pop mainstream, and his tireless endorsement of folk music across all cultures led to a series of releases that were wonderfully varied. The strongest cuts on this collection are the three West Indies pieces, "Hold 'Em Joe," "Mama Look a Boo Boo," and
Belafonte's biggest and most enduring hit, "The Banana Boat Song (Day-O)," an inspired arrangement of an old Caribbean work song. There are several
Belafonte collections on the market, and while this one would work in a pinch, its rather short length works against it, and it really only scratches the surface of this fine singer's contributions to world music.