Thursday, September 27, 2012

In the Presence of Greatness: Harry Belafonte

I always believed that if a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity -- ANY opportunity -- comes your way, you seize the moment and take advantage of it. Pass it up, and it may never come your way again.

In my nearly 50 years on this planet, I have done both seized and passed up those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. I've had the chance to see Yoko Ono and George Burns up close in the flesh; I saw a rare stage performance of the Muppets; I bought a book autographed by my all-time favorite comedian Groucho Marx; I managed to be part of a private audience with the Governor-General of Canada -- Her Majesty's representative -- at his Rideau Hall residence; and I was a contestant on "Jeopardy!" On the other hand, I passed up a chance to purchase a first edition (in hardcover, with dust jacket) of Ernest Hemingway's 1940 novel "For Whom the Bells Toll" at a second hand bookstore in Montreal nearly 30 years ago for -- get this -- $5! To put it mildly, I'm still kicking myself around the block!

Lesson learned: NEVER PASS UP THOSE ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME OPPORTUNITIES!

Since I began writing my Grapevine column for the West End Times five years ago, I upheld the spirit of the above-mentioned lesson, and I'm glad I did. I have covered my share of fundraisers, gala events, festivals and even the 2008 Grey Cup when it made its way to Montreal (I even got the chance to see the game from the Big O press box). So imagine my excitement when I attended the press conference for the Montreal International Black Film Festival earlier this month, that I found out that organizers planned to have legendary singer and activist Harry Belafonte personally attend the festival not only to promote "Sing Your Song", a documentary about his storied life and career, but also to accept in person the festival's Humanitarian Award at its opening night.

Believe me, it's not everyday that you get the chance to see a bona fide show business legend live in the flesh, especially one who has made an impact on the music industry and the Civil Rights Movement like Harry Belafonte. And for me, this golden opportunity didn't happen once, but twice!


The first occasion was on the festival’s opening night on September 19. Belafonte, accompanied by his wife Pamela and festival president Fabienne Colas, came to the Imperial Theatre for the screening of the biopic “Winnie” to accept the festival’s Humanitarian Prize for his more than 50 years’ dedication in service to the Civil Rights Movement, as well as a score of charities and non-profit community organizations.
When the 85-year-old Belafonte arrived at the Imperial and took his seat in the theatre’s front row, he was immediately surrounded by photographers (myself included) as they wanted to get good close up shots of him, in which he graciously and compliantly posed for. Then it came time for Belafonte to accept his award from Colas and festival spokesperson Sonia Benezra. He humbly accepted the honour, and then shared with the audience of how much Montreal has meant to him, as well as the first time he performed here during the 1940s, in a venue that was actually a burlesque house.
“I accept this award with great satisfaction. It’s an overture of validation of what I have done and it means a lot to me,” he said. “The late singer/activist Paul Robeson once told me that artists are the gatekeepers of truth. And the world is in need of artists for what they can do. I have enjoyed the world of celebrity, because it made me understand the power it has and what good it can do to inspire people.”
The following night at the Hall Building of Concordia University, at a screening of the documentary about his life and career called “Sing Your Song”, it made me fully understand why he was given this award.  Told in Belafonte’s own words (as well as colleagues and contemporaries such as Sidney Poitier and Desmond Tutu, to name a few) as well as plenty of rare film and TV footage, this is an excellent documentary that chronicles an impressive career in entertainment (in which he popularized calypso music in North America with such songs as “Day-O”), as well as using his celebrity status towards the many charitable and humanitarian causes that were close to his heart. 
It’s amazing to see what he has accomplished in this respect. He was one of the organizers of the famed March on Washington in 1963 (best known for Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial); he helped organize a fundraising concert on the final night of the Selma to Montgomery March in 1965; he was one of the architects of USA for Africa, the celebrity group that recorded the megahit song “We Are the World” to benefit the victims of the Ethiopian famine in 1985; and although he doesn't perform as much as he used to, he is still involved with several organizations that help at risk teens in Los Angeles towards a better future.
After the screening, Belafonte spent another hour in conversation with Sonia Benezra and answered questions from a very eager and understandably star-struck audience. He patiently answered each question with his trademark soft, husky voice and fired off several humorous replies. One of my favorite replies was “If Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy were still alive and things worked out, all of North America would be Canadian!”
He also had this to say about Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney: “I get up every day and thank God for the presence of Mitt Romney, because the Republicans are delightfully burying themselves every day. So I encourage Romney to keep on talking!”
The Belafonte love-in continued after the Q&A wrapped up, as a multitude of those in attendance rushed up to him -- many clutching copies of his memoir "My Song" or original copies of his RCA Victor albums from the 50s and 60s, (including his live at Carnegie Hall record and "Calypso", the LP that earned him a gold record in 1958 for being the first album to sell over a million copies in a single year) -- in order to get a prized autograph from him on their respective collectible. I'll admit, I was also one of those autograph hunters. I had a review copy of "My Song" that I hoped he would inscribe, so that I could add to my growing collection of autographed tomes. Although I came quite close, it was getting quite late and after signing several books and LPs, Belafonte was quickly being ushered out of the auditorium. However, as he was being led out, I found a quick vantage point and snapped a final, up close picture of Harry Belafonte looking cool and confident amongst the swell of fans that surrounded him (pictured below).
Thus ended my encounters with Belafonte. At the very least, it was great to seize that rare opportunity and be within the presence of a legendary entertainer who was also a catalyst for social change, and wisely used his talent and fame to make sure that change happened. In a way, that's probably even more valuable than an autographed book.




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