Harry Belafonte, yaharaniye agateka k'abirabure muri Reta zunze Ubumwe za Amerika, akongera akaba yari umuririmvyi n'umukinyi w'amareresi, yitavye Imana. Yari afise imyaka 96.
Belafonte yitavye Imana uno musi ku wa kabiri agize ibibazo vy’umutima imuhira iwe mu gisagara ca New York. Umupfasoni wiwe Pamela yari ku ruhande rwiwe. Belafonte yabaye umwe mu baririmvyi n’abakinyi b’amareresi bakomeye ba mbere bari bafise abakunzi benshi cane.
Bimwe mu ndirimbo ziwe zamenyekanye cane zirimwo, “Banana Boat Song (Day-O). Yaragize uruhara rukomeye cane mu rugamba rw’ukurwanira agateka k’abirabure muri Reta zunze Ubumwe za Amerika. Yari mu bayoboye abandi mu myiyerekano yo kwiyamiriza akarenganyo kari kageramiye abirabure yabaye mu myaka yo mu za mirongo itandatu.
Belafonte yari mu bategura n’abatororokanya amafranga y’ugushigikira iyo myiyerekano. Yarakoranye cane na Martin Luther King Jr., yabaye umuyobozi rurangiranwa mu rugamba rw’uguharanira agateka k’abirabure muri Amerika.
Yari umugenzi wiwe akomeye. Yaramufashije cane mu bijanye n’amafranga. Harry Belafonte yabereye akarorero abandi birabure bari bato kuri we mu myaka babaye rurangiranwa mu nyuma y’aho. Yarahaye impanuro ngirakamaro cane mu buzima ku bakiri bato b’abirabure. Umwe mu bagenzi biwe, Andrew Young, ari mu bayoboye abaharanira agateka k’abirabure, yatangaje ko Belafonte atigeze adohoka mu rugamba rwiwe, ko ahubwo yongereje inguvu n’igishika uko yagiye akura mu myaka.
Belafonte yabaye umugenzi wa Martin Luther King Jr. mu mwaka w’i 1956 inyuma y’uko King asavye ko babonana. Baravuganye mu kiringo c’amasaha atari make. Belafonte yatangaje ko vyamuhaye inguvu zikomeye mu guhurumbira umuhari w’abari mu rugamba rw’ukurwanira agateka k’abirabure muri Amerika.
Yarakoresheje ibiteramo vyiwe vy’umuziki mu gufasha muri urwo rugamba. Yaragize uruhara rukomeye mu gutuma Martin Luther King Jr. aba umuntu akomeye cane ku rwego rw’igihugu.
Mu myaka ya mbere yo mu za mirongo itandatu, yaza yafashe ingingo y’ukugira kurwanira uburenganzira bw’abirabure muri Amerika urugamba rwiwe nyamukuru. Yaragize uruhara rukomeye mu myiyerekano y’abirabure yabaye mu gisagara ca Washington DC mu mwaka w’i 1963, aho Martin Luther King Jr. yashikirije ijambo rizoguma ryibukwa mu mateka, “I Have a Dream”.
Uretse umutambukanyi wiwe, Belafonte asize abana biwe, Adrienne Belafonte Biesemeyer, Shari Belafonte, Gina Belafofnte na David Belafonte, n’abuzukuru umunani. (AP)