Slinger Francisco (Mighty Sparrow)
Known as the "Calypso King of the World," the Mighty Sparrow (1935- ) burst on the scene in the mid-1950s and has been a dominant force in calypso ever since. He has recorded over 70 albums, won Trinidad's Calypso King (Monarch) title 11 times, won the Carnival road march title 8 times and has received many other honors. With his 1956 hit, "Jean and Dinah," Sparrow proclaimed his dominance: "Yankee gone, Sparrow take over now!"—a reference to the declining presence of U.S. servicemen in Trinidad after World War II. From the mid-1950s into the 1970s, he was a headliner at the Young Brigade tent every Carnival season, until the tent was renamed "Sparrow's Young Brigade." He also regularly toured the Caribbean, as well as England and the U.S.
A consummate entertainer, Sparrow can perform everything from risqué songs and wry humor to political commentary. Among his countless well-known calypsos are "Ten to One Is Murder" (about a street fight), "Federation" (on the collapse of the West Indies Federation in 1961), "Obeah Wedding" (about a romantic encounter involving magic), "Sir Garfield Sobers" (a tribute to the cricket great), "Martin Luther King for President" and "Capitalism Gone Mad."
With frequent trips to the U.S., Sparrow eventually bought a second home
in New York. Much of his recording has been done there. He continues to
tour throughout the world and remains the best-known calypsonian of all
times.
Read lyrics to
“William the Conqueror”