Island in the Sun (Harry Belafonte song)
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| "Island in the Sun" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Harry Belafonte | |
| from the album Belafonte Sings of the Caribbean | |
| Language | English |
| B-side | "Cocoanut Woman" |
| Released | May 1957 |
| Genre | Calypso |
| Length | 3:15 |
| Label | RCA Victor |
| Songwriter(s) | Harry Belafonte, Irving Burgie |
"Island in the Sun" is a song written by Harry Belafonte and Irving Burgie (Lord Burgess), and performed by Harry Belafonte for the 1957 film Island in the Sun and on his 1957 album Belafonte Sings of the Caribbean.[1]
The song was one of two songs (the other song being "Lead Man Holler") written by Harry Belafonte and Irving Burgie for the 1957 film Island in the Sun, a film on racial tension and interracial romance. The song serves as the title song sung at the start of the film, which ends with Belafonte walking off to the humming of the song. Belafonte performed the song on The Ed Sullivan Show on June 9, 1957 to promote the film.[2] It was also released as a single backed with "Cocoanut Woman" in May 1957;[3] both songs charted, and "Island in the Sun" reached No. 30 on the Billboard's Best Sellers in Stores,[4] and No. 42 on Top 100 Sides.[5]
In 2017, Belafonte released the album When Colors Come Together: The Legacy of Harry Belafonte for his 90th birthday with the intention of fostering racial harmony, which included a new version of "Island in the Sun" titled "When Colors Come Together (Our Island in the Sun)" performed by a multi-ethnic children choir.[6][7]
Adaptation
In 1999, the song was adapted into a children's picture book, illustrated with cut-paper collages by Alex Ayliffe and published by Dial Books. The book was an Américas Award commended title and received generally positive reviews.[8][9]
