Holness, Grange laud icon Harry Belafonte

Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Culture Minister Olivia Grange joined the local and international community in honouring the late singer, actor and activist Harry Belafonte who died on Tuesday at age 96.

The revered Belafonte, whose parents were Jamaican and who lived on the island during his youth, used his entertainment platform to break racial barriers in the 1950s. Holness said that the nation has lost "a treasured icon", while hailing Belafonte for using his talent to promote social justice and equity for all.

Holness described the late icon as "a true Ambassador for Jamaica and Jamaican culture" and "a trailblazer who paved the way for generations of artistes and activists to come".

"On behalf of the people of Jamaica, I extend our deepest condolences to Harry Belafonte's family and loved ones. We will never forget his contributions to our country and the world, and we will continue to honour his memory," the prime minister said.

Grange similarly offered condolences to Belafonte's widow, Pamela, his children, grandchildren and friends. She spoke of his activism and heaped praises on the global superstar for being a "voice, face, and inspiration for black people everywhere".

In a release from her ministry, Grange said that Belafonte was "an important promoter of our folk music, bringing Day-O, Jamaica Farewell and other songs to America and elsewhere".

He also ignited a craze for Caribbean music in the US where his album Calypso topped the Billboard chart shortly after release in 1956 and remained at the top for 31 weeks. Calypso was the first album by a single artiste to sell more than a million copies. Belafonte was also one of the first black actors to achieve success in Hollywood as a leading man.

A two-time Grammy-award recipient, he was also credited with helping to organise the USA for Africa project, which resulted in the all-star recording We Are the World in 1985 that raised money to fight famine in Africa.

He also studied black history at the urging of his shipmates in the US Navy and worked alongside Martin Luther King Jr in the civil rights movement.

In 2018, Belafonte was the recipient of the Order of Merit from the Government of Jamaica, for outstanding contribution in the field of music.