Sing Your Song

Synopsis

Although popularly known as the voice that brought the “The Banana Boat Song” (“Day-O”) and other calypso numbers to mainstream America in the 1950s, Hollywood actor and singer Harry Belafonte has done more than nearly anyone else in the film and recording industries to fight for civil rights in the United States and for human rights around the world. This expansive and loving tribute of a documentary provides a wide-ranging look at Belafonte’s career in the world of entertainment (where he battled racist attitudes, stereotypical representations, and FBI investigations) as well as his commitment to social justice, demonstrated through archival clips of him marching alongside Martin Luther King, Jr. and traveling to African countries in support of pro-democracy causes. A UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and recent winner of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, this legendary icon remains as vital today as he was during the Civil Rights era, when he challenged white America’s prejudices and institutional biases while paving the way for other African American entertainer-activists.

– By David Scott Diffrient