Harry Belafonte
An Evening with Harry Belafonte & Friends

THE REVIEW

Very few artists have had, or still have, the ability to entertain any type of audience, from large open-air crowds to a more intimate audience, regardless of age. I can't help but mention Mick Jagger among them, just to give an example, but today we are talking about Harry Belafonte.

It's 1997, we're at the State University Of New York (located in Purchase, New York) and Belafonte, at the venerable age of 70, has the strength of a 25-year-old, leading everyone to sing along, both young and old, without the need to perform acrobatics on stage but with the simplicity of his smile and humor that creates "little moments of theater"; accompanied by musicians of extraordinary caliber (Lenny Underwood, Morris Goldberg, Richard Bona, and Ricky Sebastian among them) and four backing vocalists (special mention to LaTanya Hall, whom I personally adore), who are given space and freedom of expression.

It's truly unfortunate that the concert lasts only for just over an hour, but it still manages to incorporate significant pieces of his career: you have the opportunity to move from the Caribbean flavors with African reminiscences of "Turn The World Around" and "We Are The Wave", to the nostalgic notes of "Jamaica Farewell", the great classics "Matilda" (extended to a 10-minute performance, with improvisations on piano, sax, percussion, and by the vocalists; one of the major highlights of the entire concert) and "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)", which absolutely needs no introduction, another highlight. Moreover, splendid interpretations of "Eyala" and "Eyando", songs from the repertoire of Cameroonian Richard Bona, and sung by him.

The audience is seated but never still; it will be impossible not to move your head, feet, and hands. Highly recommended to accompany with video.