Mention Harry Belafonte and most of us will sing out: “Day-oh!” Somehow, the polished Caribbean cry of the “Banana Boat Song” has drowned out the rest of a remarkable career. The documentary <em>Sing Your Song</em> (out on DVD) is clearly the authorized version of his story. But based as it is on Belafonte's own recollections, <em>Sing Your Song</em> is a reminder of his greater significance in 20th century culture. The Harlem born, Jamaican raised artist began in 1940s Manhattan as a jazz singer and actor (he took classes with Marlon Brando and Walter Matthau), enjoyed a remarkable career in film and television that pushed racial boundaries (check out the hot musical <em>Carmen Jones</em> and the post-nuclear war drama <em>The World, The Flesh and the Devil</em>) and was an early celebrity supporter of Martin Luther King, Jr. And yes, he had a big hit record singing “Day-oh!”
