Search results
Harry Belafonte, Almanac, 18 February 1954. "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)" is a traditional Jamaican folk song. The song has mento influences, but it is commonly classified as an example of the better known calypso music. It is a call and response work song, from the point of view of dock workers working the night shift loading bananas onto ships.
Burgie, sometimes credited as "Lord Burgess," is a popular Caribbean composer. Attaway was a novelist and songwriter who was friends with Belafonte. Burgie and Attaway wrote most of the songs on the Calypso album. This song was first recorded in 1952 by Edric Conner, a musician from Trinidad who sang it with his band The Carribeans as "Day De ...
Apr 26, 2023 · Other Caribbean artists like Edric Connor and the Caribbeans and Louise Bennett took the songs to a wider audience before Belafonte, but his 1956 version was undoubtedly the most popular among ...
- Staff Writer
- 4 min
Apr 24, 2024 · The song’s catchy chorus has become a popular meme on social media, and the phrase “Day-O” has become synonymous with Caribbean culture. The song’s success has also helped to catapult Harry Belafonte to international stardom and cemented his legacy as one of the greatest performers of all time.
Apr 25, 2023 · As it stands, "Calypso" was the first full-length album in history to go platinum. "Day-O" itself — known by its alternative title "The Banana Song" — went on to hit No. 5 on the charts. And so Belafonte forever set into motion voice after voice crying "daaaaaay-o!" in an attempt to jog people's memories about what song they're yammering about.
Sep 16, 2023 · The origins of the Banana Boat Song can be traced back to traditional Jamaican mento music, which blends African and European musical elements. The song’s lyrics depict the arduous and monotonous work of Jamaican dock workers loading bananas onto ships in the early morning hours. The song’s chorus, which repeats the word “Day-O” several ...
People also ask
Why is 'Day-O' so popular?
Why is Day-O a good song?
Why is Banana Boat (Day-O) a call-and-response song?
What is the song 'Banana Boat (Day-O)' about?
Why is 'Banana Boat Song' (Day-O) important?
Is 'Banana Boat (Day-O)' Wayne's song?
Mar 22, 2018 · The irony that "Banana Boat Song," which depicts the daily struggle of Jamaican laborers, became a cheery, crowd-pleasing hit is not lost on Belafonte. The song has special meaning for him. The ...
