Belafonte
HAS anyone failed to come under the spell of this delightful artist? His calypso songs can be heard every day on the radio, to say nothing of the growls, mutters and whistles of dubious accuracy which may be heard in every bus and train bearing us unwillingly to our unexotic places of work, Children barely out of arms cheerfully announce that they are "sad to say, they’re on their way, won’t be back for many ‘a day," and slightly older children can set their parents posers by asking for a paraphrase of the more sophisticated ballads. My point is that unlike Messrs Presley, Fisher, Boone and Sinatra, Belafonte appeals to all ages and all tastes. His voice is clear, smooth, and full of warmth, and his songs convey a wholly endearing acceptance of all the pleasures that flesh is heir to. Regrets are few, though they can be most poignantly expressed as in "Jamaican Farewell" and "Come Back, Liza"; for the rest, the sun is revered, hard work is redeemed by rhythmical celebration, and love conquers all, even if women are much smarter at it than men. With the world news becoming daily bleaker, our taste for the exotic has perhaps never been more avid. This, in an art of excellent taste and considerable refinement is what Belafonte offers,
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19571101.2.38.1
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New Zealand Listener, Volume 37, Issue 951, 1 November 1957, Page 22
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220Belafonte New Zealand Listener, Volume 37, Issue 951, 1 November 1957, Page 22
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Copyright in the work University Entrance by Janet Frame (credited as J.F., 22 March 1946, page 18), is owned by the Janet Frame Literary Trust. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this article and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the New Zealand Listener. You can search, browse, and print this article for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from the Janet Frame Literary Trust for any other use.
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