Music Throwbacks: The Banana Boat Song

We all know the Banana Boat Song. It plays in commercials for cruises and all-inclusive Caribbean resorts. The most famous version is by Harry Belafonte and was first recorded by him in 1957. There is a certain care-free air to this song, and I think if the common person was asked about it, they would characterize it with songs like Don't Worry, Be Happy.
The truth of the Banana Boat Song is that it is a very old Jamaican folk song, which was sung by workers in banana plantations, characterizing the segregated and inhumane working conditions in most post-colonial 'Banana Republics'. The lyrics of the verses have changed, and at times were probably improvised to mirror conditions unique to certain situations, but still, if one listens to Belafonte's version, they can hear traces which exhibit the daily existence of the exploited worker.
In the last few decades, Caribbean commerce has strayed from cash crops such as Bananas, and turned to tourism. This is out of necessity. US Banana farming corporations which are based in Central America are subsidized by our government. Their labourers are underpaid. Due to the rules of the WTO, and IMF and World Bank structural adjustment programs, Carribbean nations can not subsidize their farmers. Therefore, Caribbean Banana growers can not compete in the world market. Here is a decent video about this phenomenon's effect on the Caribbean.
This is a strange post, and it is not as detailed as the topic deserves. Nevertheless, I think it is important that we know the roots of songs which we have taken lightly and widely parodied, and pay attention to the worldwide affects of our country's trade policies.
Maybe it is fitting that the Banana Boat Song plays in Sandals and Royal Caribbean advertisements, as the regions reliance on tourism is a reflection of the continued economic plight and hardship of the Caribbean- much like the Banana Boat Song in its original form.