A group of 125 hand-picked students from schools all over the Island were treated to performances by musical legend Harry Belafonte and rising musical star Mike Phillips at the Ruth Seaton James auditorium yesterday.

"I doubt if any of you know who I am or what it is that I do," Mr. Belafonte told the teens during the Department of Tourism-sponsored jazz workshop.

However the musician, actor and human rights activist added: "If you don't know... it's in all probability the right place for you to be."

Giving the youngsters a brief history of his life, Mr. Belafonte described the impact of music and song on the life of his plantation worker relatives in Jamaica.

"They created stories, they put poetry together. We began to know about each other through the songs that we had. We did not have books, we had the oral tradition."

African music and art were what helped change the image of black people in the world, he said. "In my day there were no black heroes or heroines (of the screen). Very little was talked about the serious aspects of our life. We were defined as a people who avoided intellect."

With music and art African people were given a voice, he said, giving the students samples of his famous songs such as 'The Banana Boat Song', the title track on the first album in history to sell more than one million copies.

"You've heard nothing until you've heard 50,000 Germans singing ('The Banana Boat Song'). That was the power of music, the power of song."

Saxophonist Mike Phillips, who was the opening act for Jill Scott's 2001 'Words and Sounds' tour and has performed in Stevie Wonder's band before Nelson Mandela, agreed.

"We were not respected as a people but they respected the art form," he said. "In conjunction with enjoying the music, you enjoy the people.

"Always pay attention to the past," he told the students. "This man (Harry Belafonte) is music history."

The two artists also agreed that using music just to make money was a waste.

"Use music and art to try to make a difference in the world," said Mr. Belafonte. "It's not for the fame, it's not for the glory, it's what you do with it," said Mr. Phillips. "Everyone has a gift. First you have to find your gift. Then you have to cultivate it."

With consistency and practice, he added, everyone could come close to perfection.

He then showed the students what perfection could look like, giving a performance on the saxophone with beats from Eminem's 'Forgot about Dre' and Outkast's 'So Fresh and So Clean' that ended with even Mr. Belafonte following him around the auditorium with a camera.

Mr. Belafonte said he thought the workshop had gone well.

"I think they were inspired," he told "It was very well attended and very well done." spoke with several students from Dellwood Middle School about what they learned from the experience.

Dishunta Saltus, 11, was pulled up on stage by Mr. Phillips to explain the difference between playing not to lose and playing to win. "I learned never give up," she said. She was the only one of the youngsters we spoke with who had not heard of Mr. Belafonte before, though several said they planned to ask their parents about him.

Maleeka Gibbons, 11, was upset to hear that Mr. Belafonte did not have television as a child. She said that she liked hearing about his childhood. Michell? Swan also liked Mr. Belafonte's brief history lesson best. The 11-year old pianist said Mr. Phillips had inspired her to practise her instrument more often, while her schoolmate Tiffany Johnson said she was just there to enjoy the music.

The idea that music is not about the money hit home with 11-year old Wonnae Gibbons, who was also impressed with Mr. Phillips' circular breathing technique.

Lamont Puckerin, 11, shared her awe at Mr. Phillip's breath-holding ability. "I'm going to be like him when I grow up, hopefully," he said