The work and life of legendary artist and activist Harry Belafonte will be celebrated during a concert at Aaron Davis Hall on Thursday, March 1, at 7:30 PM. Turn the World Around: The Music and Legacy of Harry Belafonte will present audiences with a special evening of songs and stories in honor of and on the icon’s 91st birthday. Presented by City College Center for the Arts (CCCA), the concert will showcase performances by members of the Belafonte Alumni Group, a collection of artists who have toured with and shared the stage with Harry Belafonte for decades, including vocalists Ty Stephens and Branice McKenzie (pictured, right) 
and pianist/Belafonte musical director Richard Cummings Jr.
and pianist/Belafonte musical director Richard Cummings Jr.The Turn the World Around tribute concert will include songs from the Belafonte catalog as well as stories and anecdotes. Stephens and McKenzie will be joined by fellow Belafonte Alumni Group members, including La Tanya Hall, Sam McKelton, Sharon Brooks, Gabrielle Lee, Deborah Sharpe-Taylor and Roumel Reaux. They will be accompanied by Emanuel “Chulo” Gatewood (bass), Damon DueWhite (drums), Gregg Fine (electric guitar), Paul Ricci (acoustic guitar), Neil Clarke (percussion), and John F. Adams (keyboard). Under the musical direction of Richard Cummings Jr., the evening will include renditions of hit songs including “Turn the World Around,” “Try to Remember,” “Jamaica Farewell,” “Banana Boat Song” and more.
Harry Belafonte has had a remarkable career spanning music, film, theater and more. Belafonte first garnered international acclaim in a singing career that introduced global audiences to calypso music with hit songs such as “Banana Boat Song (Day-O)” and “Matilda.” He went on to star in films including Carmen Jones (1954), Odds Against Tomorrow (1959) and Buck and the Preacher (1972). Belafonte is also an unflinching fighter for social justice. His dedication to humanitarianism has included working as a civil rights activist alongside Martin Luther King Jr., fighting in the anti-apartheid movement, organizing the 1985 “We Are the World” famine relief song and working to end countless other injustices around the world.
Tickets for Turn the World Around are $30 general admission and $20 for seniors and students with valid I.D., and are available for purchase online at www.citycollegecenterforthearts.org or by calling the box office at 212-650-6900. Patrons wishing to buy tickets in person before the March 1 concert date may visit Aaron Davis Hall Tuesday through Friday from 12 noon to 6 p.m. Aaron Davis Hall is located on the campus of the City College of New York, at West 135th Street and Convent Avenue (129 Convent Avenue).
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