Tuesday 26 January 2016

The Many Moods Of Belafonte – HARRY BELAFONTE****

Tongue Tie Baby/Who’s Gonna Be Your Man/’Long About Now/Bamotsweri/I’m On My Way To Saturday/Betty An’ Dupree/Summertime Love/Lyla Lyla/Zombie Jamboree/Try To Remember/Dark As A Dungeon

The Many Moods Of Belafonte showcases Harry Belafonte’s versatility and features performances by South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela and vocalist Miriam Makeba. (US:25)

The Many Moods Of Belafonte is an adult performance, beginning with the opening track, Tongue Tie Baby, one of Belafonte's calypso efforts, complete with Caribbean accent, in which he humorously describes a romantic tryst. Elsewhere, eclecticism is the ruling principal on an album intended to showcase Belafonte's versatility. That means not only blues, ballads, but also show tunes like Summertime Love, African songs like Miriam Makeba's Bamotsweri and the Hebrew lullaby Lyla Lyla.”

“The material is so varied that it risks being too diverse, the key element of stylistic consistency is the performer. Belafonte is an excellent musical actor, adopting different approaches, not to mention accents and languages on occasion, for different songs. But his distinctive voice and personality are always present, guiding the listener from style to style and country to country.”

“If you haven't listened to Belafonte for a while, or if you only know him from calypso, try to find this LP. More folky, and for me, more interesting.”

“Any Belafonte fan will declare that the 1960s were undoubtedly his most creative period. This set showcases a dynamic range of material.”

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