Irving Burgie, songwriter of calypso hit 'Day-O,' dies at 95

[malaise]

https://www.wfmz.com/news/irving-burgie-songwriter-of-calypso-hit-day-o-dies-at/article_855675e0-a60d-5500-bbd2-59c2980b38c4.html
<snip>
Composer Irving Burgie, who helped popularize Caribbean music and co-wrote the enduring Harry Belafonte hit “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song),” has died at the age of 95.

At the Barbados Independence Day Parade on Saturday, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley announced Burgie died Friday.

“Day-O,” written in 1952, has been ubiquitous, appearing in everything from the film and Broadway musical “Beetlejuice” to an E-Trade commercial. "Day-O" was also the wake-up call for the astronauts on two Space Shuttle missions in the 1990s. When a superstar list of music royalty gathered to film the “We Are the World” video in 1985, most burst into a playful version of “Day-O” in between takes. Lil' Wayne used a sample of “Day-O” in his “6 Foot 7 Foot.”

[Mike 03]

1. Catchiest tune ever...

Rest well, Mr. Burgie. Thanks for the song.

[malaise]

2. We were singing it in the van last week today, along with several other

Belafonte favorites written by Burgie

From the article
His "Jamaica Farewell" has been recorded by Belafonte, Jimmy Buffett, Carly Simon and others. Others who have sung his songs include Mantovani, Miriam Makeba and Julio Iglesias. Burgie’s classic Caribbean standards include such familiar hits as "Island in The Sun," "Angelina," and he was co-writer of "Mary's Boy Child." He also wrote the 1963 off-Broadway musical “Ballad for Bimshire” that starred Ossie Davis.

Since it's holiday season here are two

[spanone]

8. Ahhh..Jamaica Farewell

[malaise]

9. Burgie was actually born in New York - his mother was Bajan

I always thought he was born in Barbados

[Aristus]

3. I've always enjoyed this rendition:

[malaise]

4. Hahahahahha

Very nice - Burgie also wrote the Bajan national anthem

[Hermit-The-Prog]

5. being ubiquitous, it lends itself to adaptation

Being so well-known and loved, the song can carry a message across a wide audience...

[malaise]

6. Fall down funny

[spanone]

7. Great Song...RIP Mr. Burgie

Daylight come and me want to go home....

[malaise]

10. Check out #5

[spanone]

11. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA.....Brilliant

[Tikki]

12. Great memory: was lunch lady cashier in large public school cafeteria around the time..

Beetlejuice (1988) came out in theaters.

From time to time the 7th & 8th graders would start singing the Day-O (Banana Boat Song)
song in a “round” and, also in a “call and response” throughout the whole cafeteria.

We, the lunch ladies, would just let it go and it would just fade out.

This happened half a dozen times or so for a few years.


Tikki

[malaise]

13. That must have been fun