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This collection is not as nice as the To Wish You a Merry Christmas album which contains original 1950's selections. Some of these seem over-produced, and some selections jump out at you because they don't fit with the rest.
Belafonte is a joy--whether at Christmas or any time. I highly recommend this remastered album.
Spirituals and folk music had grown in popularity; his rendition of these numbers is timeless. Belafonte's choice of carols was a refreshing choice for the time. His performance of "Mary's Boy Child " is a compelling gift to us; it is a Christmas classic. A nostalic Christmas purchase; as a young girl how I loved this man's voice. Do you remember "Day-O". The quality of the re-make has room for improvement yet the music moves past this fault.
It's the first CD I play when Christmas is approaching. This is a wonderful, wonderful CD. I love Harry Belafonte's voice and I love having a different style of Christmas music to listen to. Then, I listen to the more traditional music.
His voice is rich and mellow, and the songs are sung with tenderness, and joy, and the wonder of the events of that night. If you love Belafonte and/or good Christmas music, you must add this to your collection. Harry Belafonte's recording delivers "Mary's Boy Child", "The Friendly Beasts" and other Christmas (not holiday) songs as only he could sing them. It was a thrill to find my long-scratched LP re-released as a CD, with a lot of new songs added, including the rousing "Amen".
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