'And what do you do with this gift once you have attained a high-level profile? Do you put it into the service of those things which help to enhance the human condition, bring joy to the human heart, or do you just go ahead and rip it off and get your 15th Cadillac and your 19th house, and another suit?'Īs you've probably already guessed, the answer is simple for Belafonte. '(The artist's) responsibility is to nurture something they have been given as a gift,' Belafonte says. Born in Harlem and partially raised in his mother's native Jamaica, Belafonte keeps a world focus on everything he does. He describes the rhythm of Paradise in Gazankulu as 'relentless' and 'unbelievable,' adding that in such places as Portland and Eugene, Ore., his music has been receiving a favorable response.

Songs such as the title cut (a duet with Jennifer Warnes) and his personal favorite, Paradise in Gazankulu, fuse typical languages of South Africa with English lyrics. 'All of my lyrics are about South Africa and the life and the conditions and the humor and the language of the people.'

He used the music as a base for his album, but very little in the lyrics had to do with South Africa per se. 'My album is qualitatively different,' Belafonte says. The record is not a sequel to Paul Simon's Graceland, Belafonte says, although he admits that would not be so bad. Fifty percent of his show will feature music from an album to be released in January, Skin to Skin, which features the music and embodies the spirit of South Africa. On Friday, Belafonte will perform at Sunrise Musical Theatre, and add a new chapter to his life of social consciousness. Belafonte is still vice president, spokesman and member of the board for USA for Africa.

28, 1985, he sparked the fires for We Are the World, the American record that aimed to end hunger in Africa. That's probably because Belafonte has never stopped struggling to end world hunger. 'I think it's one of the best pieces of American foreign policy,' Belafonte says.īelafonte's is that deep, slightly roughened voice in the Peace Corps advertisements that says 'It's the toughest job you'll ever love,' with more conviction than most others could. The singer still serves as the voice for the group, which provides relief work all over the world. President Kennedy, for example, appointed Belafonte cultural adviser to the Peace Corps when the organization was formed in the early '60s.

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