Man Piaba- Harry Belafonte.

Harold George Belafonte, Jr. (born March 1, 1927) is a Jamaican American musician, actor and social activist. One of the most successful popular singers in history, he was dubbed the "King of Calypso," a title which he was very reluctant to accept (according to the documentary Calypso Dreams) for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s. Belafonte is perhaps best known for singing the "Banana Boat Song", with its signature lyric "Day-O".

His breakthrough album Calypso (1956) became the first LP to sell over 1 million copies The album is number four on Billboard's "Top 100 Album" list for having spent 31 weeks at number 1, 58 weeks in the top ten, and 99 weeks on the U.S. charts.
Belafonte continued to record for RCA through the 1950s to the 1970s. Two live albums, both recorded at Carnegie Hall in 1959 and 1960, enjoyed critical and commercial success. He was one of many entertainers recruited by Frank Sinatra to perform at the Inaugural gala of President John F. Kennedy in 1961. That same year he released his second Calypso album, Jump Up Calypso, which went on to become another million seller. During the 1960s he introduced a number of artists to American audiences, most notably South African singer Miriam Makeba and Greek singer Nana Mouskouri. His album Midnight Special (1962) featured the first-ever recorded appearance by a then young harmonica player named Bob Dylan.
Belafonte was the first black man to win an Emmy, with his first solo TV special Tonight with Belafonte (1959). " He was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1994 and he won a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in globally through the 1950s to the 2000s. He gave his last concert in 2003, and in a 2007 interview stated that he has since retired from performing

LYRICS:
When I was a lad of three-foot-three
Certain questions occurred to me,
So I asked me father quite seriously
To tell me the story 'bout the bird and bee.
He stammered and he stuttered pathetically
And this is what he said to me.

He said, "The woman piaba and the man piaba
and the Ton Ton call baka lemon grass,
The lily root, gully root, belly root uhmm,
And the famous grandy scratch scratch.

It was clear as mud but it covered the ground
And the confusion made the brain go 'round.
I went and ask a good friend of mine,
Known to the world as Albert Einstein.
He said "Son, from the beginning of time and creativity
There existed the force of relativity
Pi r square and a minus ten means a routine only when
The solar system in one light year
Make the Hayden planetarium disappear
So if Mt Everest doesn't move
I am positive that it will prove

That the woman piaba and the man piaba
And the Ton Ton call baka lemon grass,
The lily root, gully root, belly root uhmm,
And the famous grandy scratch scratch.

It was clear as mud but it covered the ground
And the confusion made the brain go 'round.
I grabbed a boat and went abroad
In Baden Baden asked Sigmund Freud
He said "Son, from your sad face remove the grouch
Put the body down up on the couch
I can see from your frustration a neurotic sublimation
Hey love and hate is psychosomatic
Your Rorsach shows that you're a peri pathetic
It all started with a broken sibling
In the words of the famous Rudyard Kipling

That the woman piaba and the man piaba
And the Ton Ton call baka lemon grass,
The lily root, gully root, belly root uhmm,
And the famous grandy scratch scratch.

Well I traveled far and I traveled wide
And I don't even have me self a bride
All the great men upon this earth
Have confused me since my birth
I've been over land and been over sea
Trying to find answer 'bout the bird and bee
But now that I am ninety three
I don't give a darn you see

If the woman piaba and the man piaba
And the Ton Ton call baka lemon grass,
The lily root, gully root, belly root uhmm,
And the famous grandy scratch scratch

Category:

Music

Tags:

• harry belafonte
• man piaba. Calypso music

[distlo]

Can someone tell me how to interpret the chorus line of this song. I mean i get a few, but some appear as clear as mud to me.

Years ago i found this song on 7inch in my recordshack - don't know exactly how it got there - mayby from aunts or gradparents... so I started to play it in my DJ-Sets - which are of course HipHop- and Elektro-dominated haha. The crowds reaction was always the same - first they stammered and they stuttered pathetically but as their brains go round they began to like it.

[sirronald69]

* * * * *

[justasilly1]

he is an underrated living legend.. a genius.. i love him and his works so much.. i had the privilege and honor to wake up every morning to his awesome voice on the cassette tape deck player -Thank you Mom and Dad- and I am sure to pass it on to my children. It is this kind of intelligent yet playful entertainment that stimulates the mind to a positive and optimist state :D am i overdoing this? LOL. I LOVE MR BELAFONTE I DO I DO!!!

[58sjt]

My mom had the record, it went out of print. I was thrilled to find out when CD's came out lots of old records were rereleased on CD. I was able to get this one. I'm not sure if it is still available.

[postatility]

One of the best things about my childhood was discovering the great Harry Belafonte. I discovered Harry many years before I learned about man and woman piaba.To this day,I treasure them both.

[azeeuwnl1961]

Harry at his best. My dad still has the "Life at Carnegie Hall" record. Priceless..

Did this recording ever come out on CD?

[zapspace]

1959 at Carnegie Hall...

[gurufuttlappele]

:D lmao

[nfriends123]

a refreshing song by harry belafonte.. :-)

[postatility]

"it was clear as mud,but it covered the ground..."