Harold George "
Harry"
Bellanfanti, Jr. (born March 1, 1927), better known as
Harry Belafonte, is an American singer, songwriter, actor, and social activist. One of the most successful
Caribbean American pop stars in history, he was dubbed the "King of
Calypso" for popularizing the
Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s. His breakthrough album
Calypso (1956) is the first million selling album by a single artist. Belafonte is perhaps best known for singing "
The Banana Boat Song", with its signature lyric "Day-O". He has recorded in many genres, including
blues,
folk,
gospel,
show tunes, and
American standards. He has also starred in several films, most notably in
Otto Preminger's hit musical
Carmen Jones (1954),
Island in the Sun (1957) and
Robert Wise's
Odds Against Tomorrow (1959).