The Mighty Sparrow, Trinidadian Titan of Calypso, Is Dead at 91
He was sometimes described as the last of the true calypso singers. But in fact he simultaneously preserved calypso tradition and invented it anew.
The Mighty Sparrow, known for more than 60 years as the king of calypso, who almost single-handedly gave the music of his Trinidadian homeland an electrifying international appeal, died on Sunday in Queens. He was 91.
The death, at a hospital, was announced by his daughter Karen Francisco.
A singer, songwriter and guitarist, Sparrow — his given name was Slinger Francisco — was renowned for his sonorous voice, unremitting energy and extraordinary command of the verbal prestidigitation and sly double-entendre that are among the hallmarks of calypso lyrics.
Sparrow, who began his career in the mid-1950s, was sometimes described as the last of the true calypso singers.
