Common, Maxwell, Sheila E. & Talib Kweli Among Many Artists Set To Celebrate The Life And Work Of The Legendary Harry Belafonte On His 93rd Birthday

Proceeds Benefit The Popular Democracy Movement Center And The Harry Belafonte 115^th Street New York Public Library

JANUARY 16 -New York - Singer, songwriter, activist and actor, Harry Belafonte will Celebrate his 93^rd birthday on March 1^st. In celebration of the momentous event, on March 1 in NYC at the famed Apollo Theatre, artists from all walks of life will come together to celebrate and perform.  Aloe Blacc, Alice Smith , Macy Gray ,Talib Kweli,  John Forté, Gael Faye, Resistance Revival Chorus and more are set to join Common, Maxwell, Sheila E. and Talib Kweli. All artist performing have a personal connection to Harry Belafonte and have been personally selected by the American Icon. The event is sure to be a once in a lifetime celebration.

City Winery will present the epic party, kicking off at 7pm. Tickets go on sale to the public on Friday, January 17^th at 10am.  VIP tickets will be available on the City Winery page: https://citywinery.com/newyork/harry-belafonte-at-the-apollo-theater

100% of the proceeds will benefit two organizations in which Harry Belafonte is directly involved: the Popular Democracy Movement Center and the Harry Belafonte 115^th Street New York Public Library. Mr. Belafonte says about the event, “I am delighted to be asked by City Winery to be honored at the Apollo Theatre with more than a dozen special artist and friends performing my songs and material that has been part of my legacy.”

ABOUT HARRY BELAFONTE

• In November 2014 Belafonte received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He is one of 17 individuals to win all four major annual American entertainment awards: an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony, also known as an EGOT.
• His RCA album "Calypso" made him the first artist in industry history to sell over 1 million LP's.
• His first Broadway appearance in John Murray Anderson’s “Almanac” earned him the coveted Tony Award.
• As the first black producer in television, he won an Emmy for his CBS production of “Tonight with Belafonte”.
• At the dawning of his cinematic film career, Carmen Jones took top critical honors and attracted Oscar nominations.
• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, said of his friend, "Belafonte's global popularity and his commitment to our cause is a key ingredient to the global struggle for freedom and a powerful tactical weapon in the Civil Rights movement here in America. We are blessed by his courage and moral integrity."
• Disturbed by cruel events unfolding in Africa due to war, drought, and famine, Belafonte set in motion the wheels that led to "We Are the World" on January 28, 1985. He contacted manager, Ken Kragen, and they, along with others, guided and directed the project known as USA for Africa.
• Belafonte was prominent in the contribution to the ending of the oppressive apartheid government of South Africa and for the release of his friend, Nelson Mandela after twenty-seven and a half years of incarceration.