Harry Belafonte was instrumental in bringing Third World music and rhythms into the pop mainstream in the insular 1950s. Although born in Harlem,
Belafonte spent a good part of his childhood in his mother's native Jamaica, and the breezy Caribbean folk songs he learned there were transformed by his clear, strong voice and careful arrangements into sparkling pop songs. This single-disc career retrospective features his biggest hits, including the work song "Day-O (Banana Boat Song)," the mento classic "Jump in the Line," and the beautiful ballad "Jamaica Farewell." Other highlights here include a live duet with
Odetta on the old fiddle tune "A Hole in the Bucket" and a version of
Leadbelly's "Midnight Special" that features a 20-year-old
Bob Dylan on harmonica. ~ Steve Leggett