Calypso singer Harry Belafonte was awarded the Canadian Council of Christians and Jews' International Diversity Award at a gala dinner on Thursday.

The 80-year-old - who was a personal friend of Martin Luther King Jr. and supported the civil rights movement in its early days - was awarded for "his contribution to the advancement of human rights and dignities."

On receiving his award, Belafonte says, "My social and political interests are part of my career. I can't separate them. My songs reflect the human condition. The role of art isn't just to show life as it is, but to show life as it should be."

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)