From the S&S archives:
Harry Belafonte: 'The world is very much on our side'

WITH THE HELP of an old hit from the 1950s, singer-political activist Harry Belafonte contributed a few sidesplitting moments to one of this year's most popular movies, a ghostly comedy called Beetlejuice.

As Belafonte's Banana Boat Song plays in the background, a couple of yuppie ghosts torment an obnoxious family by forcing them to lip-synch the song and mambo around the dining table in time to the calypso beat.

"I was satisfied that this film said some rather nice things, even though it said them in this weird and iconoclastic way," Belafonte said during an interview in Frankfurt last week, referring to the film's themes of love and humor triumphing over death and comic evil.

"I had not anticipated that it would have become as successful as it did, and the song resurrected the way in which it was."

Despite a cold that turned his mellifluous speaking voice into a craggy rumble, the 6-foot-2½ Belafonte was the picture of robust good health, emanating warmth and strength in his white-and-mocha ensemble of sweater, pants and socks.

He joked about his age (61), noting that his "claim to immortality" was based on his being eight days younger than actor Sidney Poitier. Belafonte, who also acted, and Poitier were occasionally confused in the, public's eye during the two men's early careers. That confusion no longer exists, according to Belafonte.

"They know I'm much prettier, and he's much wiser," Belafonte quipped.

But what Belafonte really wanted to talk about was Paradise in Gazankulu, his first album in 15 years; his concert tour of Europe; and the politically-aware state of popular music.

No Harry-come-lately to politically-charged music and activity, Belafonte long has been at the forefront of the anti-nuclear and anti-apartheid movements, interests he incorporates into his music without apology.

Paradise in Gazankulu, for example, spotlights indigenous South African music and South African musicians. Belafonte, however, was not part of the album's recording process in South Africa.

"The South African government would not permit me to go there to record because they said I was politically unacceptable," Belafonte said.

"So, I had to send a couple of friends in with tourist visas, and they recorded with the musicians somewhat clandestinely."

The tapes then were sent to Belafonte so that he could, as he said, "do his thing" and dub his vocals onto the music.

Not the most rewarding way to produce an album, for sure, but the alternative — not producing the record at all — was unacceptable to Belafonte.

"If a totalitarian society says you cannot freely relate ... do you accept that and slink away? Or do you find creative ways to defy it? We decided we would find creative ways to defy it," Belafonte said.

Ironically, as Belafonte began putting his project together, singer-composer Paul Simon rang Belafonte up to ask his help in identifying sources for an album rooted in South African music. Simon's project later became the award-winning, best-selling Graceland.

Unlike Belafonte, Simon was allowed to enter South Africa and participate directly in the recording, an advantage that edged Graceland into record stores several years before Belafonte's Paradise in Gazankulu.

Given the ironies of the situation, Belafonte is more than gracious in his praise for Simon's project.

"I thought it was wonderful, because the more this music could be exposed, the more people understood the rich sources in South Africa, the better for the culture and for those of us who had an interest," Belafonte said.

"I was very happy for the success of Graceland."

Along with Michael Jackson and composer-producer Quincy Jones, Belafonte also serves on the board of USA for Africa, the star-studded organization that produced the No. 1 hit song, We Are the World, to promote awareness of and raise funds for victims of the Ethiopian drought.

Noting the multi-artist concert tour under way, to benefit Amnesty International, the various artist-sponsored Ethiopian hunger relief projects and the recent Free (Nelson) Mandela benefit concert in London, Belafonte believes he is no longer a minority in the artistic community as a person with a cause.

"Everybody saw us as misfits and out of step with where the world was at," Belafonte said. "We waited long enough to find out that the world is very much on our side and is yielding the fruit of all of these men and women who are very political and making very strong statements."

Smiling brightly, he added, "I feel very much a part of the 21st century at this ... twilight moment of my life."