Harry Belafonte – Calypso (1956) [Audio Fidelity 2013] SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Harry Belafonte – Calypso (1956) [Audio Fidelity 2013]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 32:16 minutes | Scans included | 1,3 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Scans included | 602 MB
Mastered by Kevin Gray | Audio Fidelity # AFZ-138

This is the album that made Harry Belafonte’s career. Up to this point, calypso had only been a part of Belafonte’s focus in his recordings of folk music styles. But with this landmark album, calypso not only became tattooed to Belafonte permanently; it had a revolutionary effect on folk music in the 1950s and ’60s. The album consists of songs from Trinidad, mostly written by West Indian songwriter Irving Burgie (aka Lord Burgess). Burgie’s two most successful songs are included — “Day O” and “Jamaica Farewell” (which were both hit singles for Belafonte) — as are the evocative ballads “I Do Adore Her” and “Come Back Liza” and what could be the first feminist folk song, “Man Smart (Woman Smarter).” Calypso became the first million-selling album by a single artist, spending an incredible 31 weeks at the top of the Billboard album charts, remaining on the charts for 99 weeks. It triggered a veritable tidal wave of imitators, parodists, and artists wishing to capitalize on its success. Years later, it remains a record of inestimable influence, inspiring many folksingers and groups to perform, most notably the Kingston Trio, which was named for the Jamaican capital. For a decade, just about every folksinger and folk group featured in their repertoire at least one song that was of West Indian origin or one that had a calypso beat. They all can be attributed to this one remarkable album. Despite the success of Calypso, Belafonte refused to be typecast. Resisting the impulse to record an immediate follow-up album, Belafonte instead spaced his calypso albums apart, releasing them at five-year intervals in 1961, 1966, and 1971.

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Harry Belafonte – Belafonte At Carnegie Hall (1959) [Reissue 2001] SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Harry Belafonte – Belafonte At Carnegie Hall (1959) [Reissue 2001]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 71:30 minutes | Scans included | 2,88 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Full Scans included | 1,44 GB

The granddaddy of all live albums, this double-LP set captured the excitement of a Harry Belafonte concert at the height of his popularity. Sampled from two consecutive performances of identical material, Belafonte at Carnegie Hall was an anomaly at a time when only comedy albums were recorded outside of the studio environment. It wasn’t the first live album ever made, but it was certainly the first to be a major financial and artistic success. It stayed on the best-selling album charts for over three years and remained in print until RCA discontinued pressing LPs. From the opening trumpet fanfare and brief orchestral overture to the epic 12-minute version of “Matilda” (which set a standard for audience participation), the album never lets up. It is exciting, poignant, thrilling, intimate, and at times, spontaneously hilarious. Belafonte’s mastery in front of an audience was never better displayed than here, a mastery that resulted in him becoming one of the most popular concert draws in history. Producer Bob Bollard and orchestra leader Bob Corman deftly integrated the 47-piece orchestra into the performance but knew when to lie back to let Belafonte sing, accompanied by a small combo of two guitars, bass, and percussion. The concert is divided in three sections: “Moods of the American Negro,” “In the Caribbean,” and “Around the World.” All the hits are here: “Day O,” “Jamaica Farewell,” “Mama Look a Boo Boo,” and others, plus calypso, folk songs, chain gang songs, spirituals, and songs from other lands, representing a veritable best-of package of his first decade with RCA Victor. For sheer scope and genius of performance, this is the quintessential Belafonte package.

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Harry Belafonte – Belafonte At Carnegie Hall: The Complete Concert (1959) [Japan 2016] SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Harry Belafonte – Belafonte At Carnegie Hall: The Complete Concert (1959) [Japan 2016]
PS3 Rip | 2x SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 96:21 minutes | Scans included | 3,91 GB
or FLAC Stereo (converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/96 kHz | Scans included | 2,24 GB

The granddaddy of all live albums, this double-LP set captured the excitement of a Harry Belafonte concert at the height of his popularity. Sampled from two consecutive performances of identical material, Belafonte at Carnegie Hall was an anomaly at a time when only comedy albums were recorded outside of the studio environment. It wasn’t the first live album ever made, but it was certainly the first to be a major financial and artistic success. It stayed on the best-selling album charts for over three years and remained in print until RCA discontinued pressing LPs. From the opening trumpet fanfare and brief orchestral overture to the epic 12-minute version of “Matilda” (which set a standard for audience participation), the album never lets up. It is exciting, poignant, thrilling, intimate, and at times, spontaneously hilarious. Belafonte’s mastery in front of an audience was never better displayed than here, a mastery that resulted in him becoming one of the most popular concert draws in history. Producer Bob Bollard and orchestra leader Bob Corman deftly integrated the 47-piece orchestra into the performance but knew when to lie back to let Belafonte sing, accompanied by a small combo of two guitars, bass, and percussion. The concert is divided in three sections: “Moods of the American Negro,” “In the Caribbean,” and “Around the World.” All the hits are here: “Day O,” “Jamaica Farewell,” “Mama Look a Boo Boo,” and others, plus calypso, folk songs, chain gang songs, spirituals, and songs from other lands, representing a veritable best-of package of his first decade with RCA Victor. For sheer scope and genius of performance, this is the quintessential Belafonte package.

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Harry Belafonte, Miriam Makeba – An Evening With Belafonte/Makeba (1965/2016) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Harry Belafonte, Miriam Makeba – An Evening With Belafonte/Makeba (1965/2016)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 34:21 minutes | 720 MB | Genre: Pop
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © RCA Records Label

An Evening With Belafonte/Makeba is Harry Belafonte and Miriam Makeba’s 1965 Grammy Award-winning album for Best Folk Recording. The recording features five songs sung by Belafonte, five by Makeba and two duets with the two vocalists. An Evening With Belafonte/Makeba delves into the political plight South Africans were facing under apartheid.

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Harry Belafonte – The Legacy of Harry Belafonte: When Colors Come Together (2017) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Harry Belafonte – The Legacy of Harry Belafonte: When Colors Come Together (2017)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:17:42 minutes | 1,45 GB | Genre: Pop
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Legacy Recordings

When Colors Come Together… The Legacy of Harry Belafonte is an essential single-album anthology of Harry Belafonte’s biggest hits and timeless classics and includes a new re-recording of one of the great pop standards in the Belafonte catalog, “Island In The Sun” entitled “When Colors Come Together (Our Island In The Sun),” performed by a children’s choir.

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Harry Belafonte – Mark Twain (And Other Folk Favorites) (Remastered) (1954/2016) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Harry Belafonte – Mark Twain (And Other Folk Favorites) (Remastered) (1954/2016)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 33:42 minutes | 368 MB | Genre: Pop
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © RevOla

Harry Belafonte’s first album features a solid variety of songs from American folk tradition, learned during his studies of folk music at the Library of Congress in the early 1950s. He had signed with RCA Victor in 1952, recording a series of well-received singles. Belafonte’s new-found love for music of the West Indies can be found in songs such as “Man Piaba” (which he wrote) along with songs from English and Scottish tradition such as “Lord Randall” and “The Drummer & the Cook.” Songs from African-American tradition include the chain gang song “Tol’ My Captain” and the ubiquitous “John Henry.” Mark Twain was a good initial effort, but Belafonte’s repertoire and delivery would get stronger with the next album. ~~ AllMusic Review by Cary Ginell

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Harry Belafonte – Loving You Is Where I Belong (2016) [Official Digital Download 24bit/44,1kHz]

Harry Belafonte – Loving You Is Where I Belong (2016)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 46:57 minutes | 493 MB | Genre: Pop, Folk, World, Country
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Columbia – Legacy

Eight long years after his last album was issued in America, Harry Belafonte emerged, like the proverbial groundhog on February 2, to see what the weather was like. As it turned out, he should have stayed underground, because Belafonte’s one and only effort for Columbia turned out to be as dismal as his most listless albums for RCA in the 1970s. Unable to find enough contemporary product to work with, Belafonte used four songs from early-’70s songwriter Jake Holmes (a stalwart on his worst RCA albums) to round out this generally boring collection. Ralph McTell’s “Streets of London” can be a poignant lesson in self-pity if not for Belafonte’s mannered performance, and surely there must be a better Hoyt Axton song for Harry to sing than “Mary Makes Magic.” Even Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young,” combined in a medley with the South African “Jabulani,” misses the mark. A sorry effort for what once was one of the most versatile and exciting recording artists in history — now relegated to being filed in the “has-bins” at record stores. ~ Cary Ginell

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Harry Belafonte – Love Is a Gentle Thing (1959/2016) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]

Harry Belafonte – Love Is a Gentle Thing (1959/2016)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 40:45 minutes | 1,24 GB | Genre: Pop
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © RCA – Legacy

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Harry Belafonte – Jump Up Calypso (1961/2016) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Harry Belafonte – Jump Up Calypso (1961/2016)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 41:43 minutes | 910 MB | Genre: Pop
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © RCA Records Label

Jump Up Calypso is Harry Belafonte’s second studio album originally released in 1961. The record went on to sell over a million copies and made it to the number 3 spot on Billboard’s Pop chart.

Belafonte was an established all-around entertainer and actor by the time of this album, so it could be seen in a sense as a return to “roots” styles. In any case, it’s all-out calypso, with backing by the Trinidad Steel Band, and qualifies as one of his most energetic albums, even getting rambunctious at times. ~~AllMusic Review by Richie Unterberger

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Harry Belafonte – Calypso (1956/2007) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Harry Belafonte – Calypso (1956/2007)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 32:11 minutes | 433 MB | Genre: Pop
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © RCA Records Label

Harry Belafonte’s third studio album Calypso is considered one of his most popular records. It reached number one on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart and remained there for 31 weeks after it’s debut. The 1956 record features hit song “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)” as well as “Jamaica Farewell”.

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Harry Belafonte – Belafonte Sings The Blues (1958/2016) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]

Harry Belafonte – Belafonte Sings The Blues (1958/2016)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 45:08 minutes | 1,58 GB | Genre: Pop
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © RCA – Legacy

Impex’s line of classic RCA Living Stereo releases now includes the inimitable vocal stylings of Harry Belafonte singing the timeless words and music of American blues in truly breathtaking sound. Belafonte Sings the Blues was recorded over four sessions during the first half of 1958, and released by RCA later that year. The album features thrilling performances of numerous Billie Holiday, Johnny Mercer, and Ray Charles songs, interpreted in a way that only Belafonte can. The blues are close to Belafonte’s heart and it clearly shows here on his renditions of such classics as “One For My Baby”, “Cotton Fields” and “God Bless the Child” among others!

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Harry Belafonte – Belafonte At Carnegie Hall – The Complete Concert (1959/2015) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Harry Belafonte – Belafonte At Carnegie Hall – The Complete Concert (1959/2015)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:35:57 minutes | 2,04 GB | Genre: Pop
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © RCA – Legacy

Belafonte: At Carnegie Hall is a live recording of American singer-songwriter Harry Belafonte. The performances originally took place at Carnegie Hall in April 1959 to benefit education. The record was later nominated for Album of the Year at the 1961 Grammy Awards. Belafonte: At Carnegie Hall  became one of the most successful live recordings of it’s time, remaining on the best-selling albums chart for over three years.

Mastered at 24bit/96 kHz from the original analog tapes keeping it identical to its original 1959 release including the tracks “Take My Mother Home”, “Man Piaba”, “All My Trials”, “Merci Bon Dieu (From The “Haitian Suite”). Mastered by Mike Piacentini @ Battery Studios, NYC.

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Harry Belafonte – An Evening with Belafonte (1957/2016) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Harry Belafonte – An Evening with Belafonte (1957/2016)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 45:37 minutes | 702 MB | Genre: Pop
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © RCA – Legacy

Riding high on the success of the Calypso album, Harry Belafonte went back to doing what he had started out to do: record a variety of folk songs from different cultures around the world. This album exhibited his widest scope of selections yet, including songs from Haiti (“Merci Bon Dieu”), Israel (“Hava Nageela”), and Mexico (“Cu Cu Ru Cu Cu Paloma”), the latter a six minute tour de force. Although Belafonte would never score with a single as big as “Day O” again, An Evening With Belafonte did include the West Indian Christmas song “Mary’s Boy Child,” which became a huge seller in Great Britain. It was becoming apparent that Harry Belafonte was not interested in having hit singles, but only to present his albums as miniature lessons in global folk music. ~~AllMusic Review by Cary Ginell

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Harry Belafonte – Swing Dat Hammer (1960/2016) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Harry Belafonte – Swing Dat Hammer (1960/2016)
FLAC (tracks) 24-bit/96 kHz | Time – 00:38:40 minutes | 833 MB | Genre: Pop
Studio Master, Official Digital Download – Source: HDTracks | Front Cover | © RCA/Legacy

The 1961 GRAMMY award winning album for Traditional Folk features Belafonte singing chain gang songs.

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Harry Belafonte – Streets I Have Walked (1963/2016) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Harry Belafonte – Streets I Have Walked (1963/2016)
FLAC (tracks) 24-bit/96 kHz | Time – 00:38:22 minutes | 841 MB | Genre: Pop
Studio Master, Official Digital Download – Source: HDTracks | Front Cover | © RCA/Legacy

Legendary singer Harry Belafonte’s 14th album, released in 1963 and charting at #30 on the Billboard 200.

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