Harry Belafonte

Though born in the US, Harry Belafonte has always identified strongly with his Jamaican heritage. The son of Melvine (nee Love) – a housekeeper (of Jamaican descent) – and Harold George Belafonte, Sr., a native of Martinique who worked as chef in the Royal Navy, he lived for a time with his grandmother in Jamaica. On his return to New York City, He was dubbed the "King of Calypso" for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s. Be...