I am getting weary of the disappearing act that the entertainers that I grew up with have taken to doing. Almost daily I read of the death of another great in the world of music, cinema, TV, theatre or dance who moulded my youth. In the past few weeks Harry Belafonte, Barry Humphries, Gordon Lightfoot, Grace Bumbry, and just yesterday Tina Turner have all left us.
In my late teens I joined the RCA Record Club and the first two albums I received were by the legendary folk singer/actress/civil rights activist Odetta and Harry Belafonte with Mama Africa, Miriam Makeba.
Rather than post another clip of Harry Belafonte singing Matilda or Banana Boat Song I thought I’d celebrate him and those two albums in duets with those two great ladies.
In 1959 Belafonte and Odetta performed this number on his TV special and later recorded it. A Hole in the Bucket appears to be of Hessian origin and over the years has been translated and adapted in many languages. There is an obvious affection between the two that is captivating.
I never had the chance to catch Odetta’s act in one of her many appearances at the River Boat in Toronto but did see her on stage at Stratford in a searing production of The Crucible. She was as fine an actress as she was a singer.
In 1960 Belafonte met Miriam Makeba during filming of a BBC variety show. He was the catalyst in introducing her to wider audiences. She recorded the award winning An Evening with Belafonte/Makeba based on a concert tour they had done together in 1962. One of the stops was Toronto and I had the good fortune to see them perform. Both singers performed Malaika as solos however I think this duet is the classic version of the Swahili ballad
The word for May 24th is:
Disappear dĭs″ə-pîr′: [verb]
1.1 To pass out of sight; vanish.
1.2 To cease to be seen; be missing or unfound.
1.3 To cease to exist.
From Middle English disapeeren, equivalent to dis– + appear which is from Middle English apperen, aperen, borrowed from Old French aparoir from Latin appāreō (“I appear”). Displaced native Old English fordwīnan.
Willy Or Won't He 
I watched Harry Belafonte and Odetta perform this on TV in 1959 when I was around 5 years old. I loved them and the song forever after. I have never enjoyed any version of the song as much as theirs. He was also my introduction to Miriam Makeba. Genius loves company, as it’s been said.
There are few songs I hate as much in this world as “A Hole in the Bucket,” I don’t care WHO’S singing it!
Alas as we age either everyone dies on us or we die on them.