This is a great observation. When Harry Belafonte was invited to do the show, he said Jim was also very receptive to performing African music. "I proposed to him that the show might provide the occasion to take a look at the lore and history of other worlds, other places," Belafonte said. /1 - ThreadSky

brianjayjones.com • 12 hours ago

This is a great observation. When Harry Belafonte was invited to do the show, he said Jim was also very receptive to performing African music. "I proposed to him that the show might provide the occasion to take a look at the lore and history of other worlds, other places," Belafonte said. /1

Reposted from Kimberly L Piper (She/They)

Watching Pearl Bailey sing gospel on The Muppet Show with The Muppets singing back-up and shouting and praising the Lord got me thinking about just how awesome Jim Henson was. He wasn’t afraid to let Black people into white spaces and take up space. I miss him.

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brianjayjones.com•12 hours ago

Belafonte: "I was in a country called Guinea, and I went deep into the interior of the country. In a little village, I met with a story-teller. That story-teller went way back into African tradition—into African mythology. . . . " /2

brianjayjones.com•12 hours ago

" . . . He began to tell a story about the fire—which means the Sun—about the water, about the Earth. And he pointed out that all of these things put together turn the world around. And that all of us are here for a very, very short time." /3

brianjayjones.com•12 hours ago

". . . And in that time that we are here, there really isn't any difference in any of us IF we take time out to understand each other. And the question is, Do I know who you are? Do you know who I am? Do we care about each other? Because, if we do, together we can turn the world around." /4

dasbender.bsky.social•12 hours ago

That skit is one of my most favorite pieces of entertainment and art ever made. I miss the Muppet vocals from all other recordings of that song.

brianjayjones.com•12 hours ago

Belafonte wrote the song "Turn the World Around" and performed it on season 3 of The Muppet Show with Muppets designed to resemble African masks. Jim instructed builders NOT to base them on real masks, so as not to offend--he wanted the "essence," which was, to him, the heart of puppet building. /5

noahjoad.bsky.social•12 hours ago

Wow, I remember watching this

"We come from the water, living in the water, go back to the water, turn the world around. Whooooa oh. So is life!"

brianjayjones.com•12 hours ago

Here's that performance, on episode 314 of The Muppet Show, which aired in February 1979. And it is an absolutely beautiful thing to behold. /6

brianjayjones.com•12 hours ago

Jim regarded it as one of The Muppet Show's finest hours, and he and Belafonte developed a genuine friendship.

When Jim Henson died suddenly in May 1990, Belafonte performed the song at Jim's memorial service. And it's another amazing performance. Take a look. /end

triplezero.bsky.social•12 hours ago

This is my favourite episode of the original Muppet Show and quantifiably the best.

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