One of my favorite albums from my childhood, though before my times was Harry Belafonte, who basically put calypso music on the map with the first milllion-selling album ever, aptly titled
Calypso. In a way it marked an era where mass tourism to the then-exotic Caribbean was suddenly within reach. People wanted the music, albeit modified from the original formats. Songs such as Day-O (Banana Boat Song) and Jamaica Farewell (Sad to Say...) were major hits. Their singer, Harry Belafonte sang at Carnegie Hall.
I was curious as to whether those songs were genuine, public domain, folk songs. But, surprise surpise, they were not. Their author was Irving Burgie, credited on the album as Lord Burgess.
I am now in the midst of reading his autobiography,
Day-O!!! The Autobiography of Irving Burgie by
Irving Burgie.
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