Who Wrote Harry Belafonte’s Classic Hit “Mama Look a Boo Boo”

As the king of calypso music in the U.S., Harry Belafonte’s “Mama Look a Boo Boo” (originally stylized as “Mama Look at Bubu”) is one of his signature hits. The song was released as a single by singer Lord Melody in 1955, with Belafonte getting his hands on it in 1957, turning it into a Top 15 hit on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100. So who are the writers behind this hit?

Who Wrote “Mama Look a Boo Boo”?

The song was written by its original singer, Lord Melody, alongside Lord Burgess, with Belafonte also being credited for adapting some of the lyrics for his version.

Belafonte had a storied career as a trailblazing artist who brought calypso music to the mainstream in the U.S., particularly with his 1956 album, Calypso. He also made a name for himself as an actor, with starring roles in Carmen Jones, Island in the Sun, BlacKkKlansman, and others. An Emmy Award, Grammy Award, Oscar Award, and Tony Award winner, Belafonte is known for hits “Day-O,” “Jump in the Line,” “Jamaica Farewell,” “Gomen Nasai” and others. In 2022, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He passed away in April 2023 at the age of 96.

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Born in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Melody was raised in an orphanage in the country’s capital, Port of Spain. During his youth, he was taken under the wing of popular calypso singer Lord Kitchener, with Melody himself becoming a star in his home country throughout the 1940s when he’d perform at carnivals in venues known as calypso tents. One of his earliest hits was “Boo Boo Man,” along with “Second Spring.” But he had a breakthrough in 1962 with “Wau, Wau,” an adaptation of Sir Lancelot’s “Shame and Scandal.” Following the success of Belafonte’s cover of “Mama Look a Boo Boo,” the two joined forces in the U.S. as they toured together throughout the 1960s after Melody moved to New York. Melody recorded 14 albums throughout his career, his last being Lola in 1982. He passed away from cancer in 1988 in Trinidad.

To bring his rendition of “Mama” to life, Belafonte turned to his longtime songwriting collaborator, Burgess. Born in 1924 in Brooklyn, New York, Burgess was of Barbados descent on his mother’s side while his father was from the state of Virginia. After serving in the Army in World War II, Burgess returned back to New York where attended the Juilliard School and cut his teeth performing in local clubs. He met Belafonte in 1950 and became an influential figure in his career.

“A lot of my work is based on songs and ditties that I’ve heard in the Caribbean,” Burgess said to NPR. After meeting Belafonte in 1950, the two reconnected through mutual friend and songwriter William Attaway. “When Harry came back, we got together and I played a few songs for him,” Burgess recalled. “He was quite excited about all of the stuff. Before I knew it they had put together an album called Calypso.”

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Burgess and Attaway co-wrote several of the tracks off Belafonte’s blockbuster album, Calypso, including the hit “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song),” while Burgess is the sole writer of “Jamaica Farewell.” The album made history as the first LP by a single artist to sell more than one million copies and was Belafonte’s second consecutive album to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200. It’s also been inducted into the Library of Congress National Recording Registry.

Outside of his work with Belafonte, Burgess also wrote, “In Plenty and In Time of Need,” the national anthem of Barbados, launched his own publishing company, and founded the magazine The Urbanite, in addition to providing financial support to civil rights activists in the 1960s. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2007 and passed away in November 2019 at the age of 95.

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