Harold George Belafonte, Jr. (born March 1, 1927 in Harlem, New York, United States) is an American musician, actor and social activist. One of the most successful American musicians in history, he was dubbed the "King of Calypso" for popularizing the Caribbean musical style.

Belafonte is perhaps best known for singing the "Banana Boat Song," with its signature lyric "Day-O".

Belafonte received a contract with RCA Victor and his breakthrough album Calypso (1956) was the first LP to sell over 1 million copies (Bing Crosby's White Christmas and Tennessee Ernie Ford's Sixteen Tons, both singles, had previously surpassed the 1 million mark). The album is number four on Billboard's "Top 100 Album" list for having spent 31 weeks at number 1, 58 weeks in the top ten, and 99 weeks on the US charts. While primarily known for his Calypso songs, Belafonte has recorded in many genres, including blues, folk, gospel, show tunes, and American standards. Belafonte continued to record for RCA through the 1950s to the 1970s.

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)