Like his much admired forerunner in the cause of black freedom, Paul Robeson, Harry Belafonte was the possessor of a beautiful, husky, and utterly distinctive voice of great flexibility, which brought him fame as 'The King of Calypso' and as a phenomenally successful star of the commercial folk scene of the late 50s and early 60s.

Brought up on an "island in the sun", Jamaica, Belafonte’s career as one of the predominant musical figures of the time is surveyed on Retrospective’s 'Island In The Sun'. The selections range from his first commercially successful single – Scarlet Ribbons (1952) – through a decade of the cream of each of his unique albums, demonstrating the diversity of world music as superbly reinvented by his interpretive brilliance.

Calypsos (Jamaica Farewell, The Banana Boat Song), Christmas songs (Mary’s Boy Child), spirituals (My Lord, What A Mornin’), work songs (John Henry), chain gang songs (Swing Dat Hammer), love songs (Try To Remember) – all are here, warming like West Indian sunshine.

Contents:
CD 1
1. Island In The Sun
2. Scarlet Ribbons
3. Shenandoah
4. Matilda, Matilda
5. Suzanne
6. Hold ’Em, Joe
7. I’m Just A Country Boy
8. John Henry
9. Sylvie
10. Jamaica Farewell
11. The Banana Boat Song (Day-O)
12. Come Back, Liza
13. Jump Down, Spin Around
14. Brown Skin Girl
15. Cu-Cu-Ru-Cu-Cu Paloma
16. Hava Nagila
17. Mary’s Boy Child
18. Lucy’s Door
19. Coconut Woman
20. Don’t Ever Love Me
21. Mama, Look A Boo-Boo
22. Fifteen
23. All My Trials

CD 2
1. Times Are Getting Hard, Boys
2. Turn Around
3. Go ’Way From My Window
4. Cotton Fields
5. The Son Of Mary
6. Wake Up, Jacob
7. My Lord, What A Mornin’
8. Oh, Freedom
9. Look Over Yonder
10. Diamond Joe
11. Rocks And Gravel
12. Swing Dat Hammer
13. There’s A Hole In My Bucket (With Odetta)
14. The Virgin Mary Had A Baby Boy
15. Jump In The Line
16. The Land Of The Sun And The Sea
17. The Midnight Special
18. Gotta Travel On
19. Michael, Row The Boat Ashore
20. ’Long About Now
21. Bamotsweri (With Miriam Makeba)
22. Try To Remember