R.I.P. Mighty Sparrow, 1935-2026

Sadly, legendary calypso king Mighty Sparrow, aka Slinger Francisco, has passed away at 91. He'll be greatly missed. 

From Smithsonian Folkways...

We remember the Mighty Sparrow (1935–2026), known as “The Calypso King of the World,” who died on September 27 at age 91 in Queens, New York.

Born Slinger Francisco in Grenada and raised in Trinidad, Sparrow was an unparalleled songwriter and performer in the Trinidadian calypso tradition, serving up unflinching social commentary spun with invincible exuberance and literary panache. Across his substantial body of creative and incisive original songs, Sparrow embodied different characters and modes of expression, moving among celebration, praise, censure, laughter, critique, and self-signification. A defining figure in the genre, Sparrow was instrumental in bringing calypso music to the world stage.

Sparrow’s music appears on several Cook Records releases in our collection, including the two full-length albums ‘King Sparrow’s Calypso Carnival’ (1959) and ‘Sparrow in Hi-Fi’ (1963), as well as compilations featuring classic song-duels between Sparrow and legendary calypsonian Lord Melody. His early recordings are anthologized on the 2005 Smithsonian Folkways release ‘First Flight: Early Calypsos from the Emory Cook Collection.’

You can listen to the Mighty Sparrow and read more about his life and music in the liner notes here: s.si.edu/4ylcaHF

Watch a few clips below.