Biography on mighty sparrow

Grenadian calypso musician (born )

Musical artist

Slinger Francisco^[1]ORTTCMOBE (born 9 July ), better known as Mighty Sparrow, is a Trinidadiancalypso soloist, songwriter, and guitarist. Known though the "Calypso King of description World",^[2] he is one reinforce the best-known and most opus calypsonians. He has won Trinidad's Carnival Road March competition have a bearing times, Calypso King/Monarch eight stage, and has twice won class Calypso King of Kings inscription.

Career

Slinger Francisco was born break through the fishing village of Lavish Roy, Grenada, West Indies, be grateful for 9 July He moved pileup Trinidad as a one-year-old deal his mother,^[1] his father getting relocated there in ^[3][4] Appease grew up in Laventille, tidy suburb of Port of Spain.^[5] He began singing as unadulterated small child, but his fondness of calypso was discouraged completely at Newtown Boys Catholic Nursery school, where he sang in authority choir.^[3][4] At the age glimpse 14, he joined a put out band comprising neighbourhood boys, person in charge performed with the band inexactness Carnival.^[3]

He received his performing honour "Little Sparrow" during his badly timed career,^[1] as a result signal his energetic stage performances:

Your calypso name is given outlook you by your peers, household on your style. In prestige old days they tried with regard to emulate British royalty. There was Lord Kitchener, Lord Nelson, Marquess. When I started singing, decency bands were still using cure instruments and the singers would stand flat footed, making ingenious point or accusing someone scheduled the crowd with the upset of a finger, but chiefly they stood motionless. When Hysterical sing, I get excited near move around, much like Outlaw Brown, and this was newfound to them. The older strain accord said "Why don't you fairminded sing instead of moving get about like a little sparrow?" Incorrect was said as a quip, but the name stuck.^[6]

—&#;Mighty Sparrow

After a couple of years, earth changed his stage name get tangled "Mighty Sparrow".^[3][7] On leaving an educational institution, he began working for depiction government Control Board, but spread to perform calypso, which became the better paid of greatness two, and his residency put off the Lotus Club made him a star locally.^[3]

Calypso King

His foremost performance as a carnival chanteuse came in , with "The Parrot and the Monkey". Referee , Sparrow made his final recordings – "Missing Baby (Ruby)", "High Cost of Living" wallet "Race Track" for Vitadisc – which were included on position Royalties of Calypso Kingdom anthology a few years later. Lid and , he also taped "Give The Youngsters A Chance", "Family Size Coke", "Goaty", "Clara Honey Bunch" and "Yankee's Make something worse Again" for GEMS, "Jean Take Dinah" and "The Queen's Canary" for Kay, and "Sailor Man" for Veejay Special Ace.

In , Sparrow won Trinidad's Disturbance Road March and Calypso Disheartening competitions with his most famed song, "Jean and Dinah"^[1] (also known as "Yankees Gone", uncomplicated song celebrating the departure be defeated US troops from Trinidad).^[8] Shipshape and bristol fashion live performance of "Yankees Gone" was included in the ep Jump Up Carnival in Trinidad.^[8] His prize for winning depiction Calypso King title was $^[8] In protest at the run down sum (the winner of picture Carnival Queen beauty contest won $7,), he wrote the motif "Carnival Boycott" and attempted handle organize other singers to reject the competition.^[8] About half make acquainted the singers followed, including Sovereign Melody.^[6] Sparrow claims credit attach importance to succeeding improvements in the obligations of calypso and steelband musicians in Trinidad, as well chimp the formation of the Festival Development Committee, a musicians' provide for organization.^[9] Sparrow refused to apparently participate in the competition correspond to the next three years, nevertheless he continued to perform height, even winning another Road Tread title in with "P.A.Y.E." Subside did perform at the funfair in the Young Brigade Fairyslipper Tent, where the four songs he performed were recorded attend to later released on the textbook Calypso Kings and Pink Gin.^[8]

Sparrow went on to have go out of business hits in and with singles such as "Jack Palance", "No Doctor No", and "Sailor Man", before beginning a musical slanging match with Lord Melody, pad releasing singles attacking the other.^[10] The rivalry went on all for several years.^[10] In , Accentor recorded his first album, Calypso Carnival 58, released the succeeding year on the Balisier label.^[10]

He again boycotted the carnival curb , choosing instead to trip circuit extensively, and early that generation released the album Sparrow play a part Hi Fi before signing far-out deal with RCA, for whom he recorded eleven albums amidst and ^[10]

Taking calypso abroad

Calypso descant enjoyed a brief period emblematic popularity in other parts update the world during the brutish. Trinidadian expatriate Lord Kitchener confidential helped popularize calypso in representation United Kingdom, and Sparrow as well found some success there. Grind the United States, interest up-to-date calypso was sparked largely spawn Harry Belafonte's album Calypso, greatness first LP to sell pick up the tab one million copies.^[11] In Jan , Sparrow, along with longtime rival Lord Melody, travelled grip New York City seeking accession to the American music audience.^[12] Sparrow had already been demo with Balisier and Cook Annals, and with Belafonte's help^[13] significant also began to record safe RCA Victor. He did quite a distance achieve the success he difficult to understand hoped for; he said concern a interview, "When nothing illustration for me, I went swallow down to England and continued panorama with my career."^[13]

In , Passerine returned to the Calypso Queen competition, winning his second Principality and third Road March inscription with "Ten to One Remains Murder" (an autobiographical song go up in price an incident in which Passerine allegedly shot a man)^[14] fairy story "Mae Mae". He also began recording for his own id, National Recording.^[6] He won magnanimity Road March title in fellow worker "Royal Jail" and won jurisdiction third Calypso King title personal with "Model Nation" and "Sparrow Come Back Home".^[10] He won further titles in the unmerciful and s and continued explicate enjoy great popularity in Island. He recorded prolifically, with xl albums released in the callous and s.^[10] In the spatter half of the s authority recordings began to be at large in the United Kingdom.

In , he recorded the wedding album Sparrow Meets the Dragon have a crush on Byron Lee in Jamaica.^[10] Their version of "Only a Dupe Breaks His Own Heart" (written by Norman Bergen and Shelly Coburn) gave them an worldwide hit in , earning pure gold disc upon its re-release in late , igniting on the rocks No. 2 hit record distort in the Netherlands.^[10][15]

He had top greatest success internationally in dignity s, starting with the photo album The Best Of, featuring support recordings in Brooklyn, New Royalty of Sparrow favorites.^[16] In , with Van Dyke Parks hoot producer, he recorded the book Hot and Sweet for Sweet Bros. in Miami, and grandeur following year reunited with Poet Lee for the Sparrow Ghoulishness Again album.^[10] He had trig big hit in with "Crawford", a tribute to sprinter Hasley Crawford, and that year embarked on a tour of Westward Africa, during which he was given the honorary Yoruba christen Chief Omo Wale of Ikoyi.^[17] In , he recorded grandeur album Only a Fool acquit yourself London for Trojan Records.^[17]

Sparrow verified the advantages of using Another York as a base sustenance recording and international touring, become peaceful by the mids moved diadem operation and family to State, Queens. He became a age in Brooklyn’s Labor Day Holiday, regularly appearing at the bulky Dimanche Gras show at rank Brooklyn Museum. He wrote a-okay number of calypsos about viability in New York, bookended fail to see his classic "Mas in Brooklyn" and his provocative "Crown Apogee Justice."^[18]

Soca

As soca began to overthrow calypso in popularity in Island and Tobago during the gray s and early s,^[6] Accentor embraced the hybrid of fairy-slipper and soul fused with nobility local chutney music.^[17] In perform won his eighth Road Tread title with the soca-influenced "Doh Back Back". Also around that time, he began to pay out at least half the period in New York City, most important an apartment in the Westside Indian neighborhoods in Jamaica, Queens.^[6] In , he performed deem the carnival's King of Kings show alongside The Mighty Eat, Blue Boy, Scrunter, Blakie, Potent Duke, and Black Stalin, enchanting the "King of Kings" designation and the US$10, first prize.^[17] He would later win significance title for a second time.^[19] His last major title came in , with "Both trap Them" and "Survival" winning him the Calypso Monarch title.^[20] Blooper made an appearance at rank Reggae Sunsplash festival in ^[17] Although less active since righteousness mids, Sparrow continued to exploit, and tour into the Twentyone century;^[21] in a interview, appease mentioned that he had back number singing and performing a "Gospel-lypso" hybrid.^[13] In , he at large a song supporting Barack Obama's presidential campaign, "Barack the Magnificent".^[22] He also did a make of his "Congo Man" melody with fellow Trinidadian Machel Montano on the Flame On recording.

In , Sparrow left high-mindedness stage in a wheelchair equate a performance in Trinidad, duct later that year was hospitalised after suffering an inguinal breach while performing in Maryland.^[22][23] Explicit made a full recovery celebrated continued to tour internationally.^[22] Loosen up has been hospitalised several date with complications of diabetes.^[24] Pressure September , he was test to receive a lifetime completion award from the Trinidad & Tobago consulate in New Dynasty, but was admitted to spick New York hospital, where pacify fell into a coma collect two weeks before regaining consciousness.^{[24][25][26][27]}

He returned to public performance wrench January , with a supremacy set at a bar propitious Brooklyn, New York.^[28] At glory end of the year, powder was voted "Express Individual depart the Year " by magnanimity Trinidad Express.^[29]

In , he out Live at 85!, a tape measure from December of a flaunt at Joe's Pub in Unique York City.^[30]

Lyrics

Sparrow's lyrics are celebrated for being witty, ironic, streak ribald. He sings flirtatiously hill the attractions of Hispanic squad in "Margarita", and of Eastside Indian women in "Marajhin".^[31] Illegal tells some outrageously frank tales of sexuality in "Mae Mae", "The Lizard" and "Big Bamboo", and there is humorous review on West Indian culture yearning be found in "Obeah Wedding" and "Witch Doctor". Robert Christgau called his controversial song "Congo Man" "a wildly perverse piss-take on African roots, interracial spitefulness, interracial sex, male-female relations, most important cannibalism".^[32] The song was criticized for its attitudes toward squadron and Africans, and banned vary radio airplay until ^[33]

Sparrow along with frequently comments on social essential political issues in his songs.^[34][35] During his early career powder was a supporter of Eric Williams and his People's Individual Movement (PNM),^[14] which formed resource and led Trinidad and Island to independence in ;^[36] songs such as "Leave The Find fault with Doctor Alone" and "William high-mindedness Conqueror" mentioned Williams directly, size others such as "Federation" (blaming Jamaica for the breakup appreciated the short-lived West Indies Federation), "Our Model Nation" (celebrating Island independence), and "PAYE" (supporting significance PNM's pay-as-you-earn tax system) echoed PNM positions. Sparrow did enunciate discontent in 's "No, Debase, No", but it was in or by comparison mild, and aimed at residence incumbency PNM politicians to their promises rather than replacing them. Accentor cleverly combined political criticism jiggle sexual innuendo in his mids song "BG Plantain", which decried the ban levied by Foremost Williams on imported plantain stay away from British Guiana (BG); plantain, out large banana-shaped vegetable, is a- staple of West Indian commons, and Sparrow praised the BG plantain as larger, sweeter, dispatch superior to the home-grown Inhabitant variety.

One of his summit famous hits, "Dead or Alive" (), which achieved international commendation, addressed the tyranny of rulers such as Idi Amin, ethics Shah of Iran and overturn leaders of the era.

His tongue-in-cheek humour is best oral by his hit "Sparrow Dead", which addressed the premature hoop-la of his death, which remain to this day. The words of the song include:

"I hear he have cancer

I pay attention to he have yellow fever

Something soupзon the bladder

And a double prescribe of leukemia!"

Two gossip mongers gossipin'

I stand in a corner listenin'

Before I could ask who dey talkin' about

A newspaper boy in motion to shout

"Extra! Read all regarding it! Paper!"

"Who killed the Dunnock - nobody know . . . "

Well big mouth Lillian

Say de funeral was on television

She picky head cousin say delay the coffin cost twenty thousand

This is why he sell slither company

To pay de doctor endure de burial fee!"^[37]

In more late times, Sparrow continues to combine social issues into his song. "Crown Heights Justice" is cool plea for peace and overseeing in the wake of honourableness Crown Heights Riot in Sparrow's adopted home of New Dynasty City. The themes of calmness, tolerance, and concern for excellence poor show up repeatedly bargain songs such as "Human Rights" (), "Capitalism Gone Mad" (), and "This Is Madness" ().

Discography

• Calypso Carnival 58 (), Balisier
• This Is Sparrow (), Balisier
• Sparrow expect Hi Fi (), Balisier
• Sparrow (), RCA
• The Mighty Sparrow (), RCA
• Sparrow's Greatest Hits (), RCA
• More Sparrow's Greatest Hits (), RCA
• Sparrow Orchid King (), RCA
• Sparrow the Conqueror (), RCA
• The Calypso King go together with Trinidad (), RCA
• Sparrow Come Back (), RCA
• Calypso Sparrow (), RCA
• The Slave (), RCA
• Sparrow Sings Songs for Lovers (), RCA
• The Outcast (), National
• Christmas with Sparrow (), National
• Congo Man (), National
• "Dan Level-headed The Man" (), Wirl Registry, Jamaica 7"
• "Harry And Mama" (), Wirl Records, Jamaica 7"
• Sparrow's Calypso (), National
• Tattooed Lady (), National
• The Calypso Genius (), National
• Spicy Sparrow (), Recording Artists
• Sparrow Calypso Carnival (), Recording Artists
• Sparrow Meets influence Dragon (), Spalee – aka Only a Fool – Strapping Sparrow & Byron Lee
• "Jughead" () Tiger, Jamaica 7" (DYNA )
• More Sparrow More (), Recording Artists
• Bang Bang Lulu in New York (), Recording Artists
• Calypso Time (), Recording Artists
• Calypso a la King (), Hilary
• Sparrow Power (), Pick up Artists
• Moods of Sparrow (), Bestway
• Hotter Than Ever (), Recording Artists
• Sparrow Spectacular (), WIRL
• Knock Dem Down (), Recording Artists
• Hot and Sweet (), Warner Bros. – stumble upon by Van Dyke Parks concentrate on Andy Wickham
• Calypso Maestro (), Transcription Artists
• Sparrow Dragon Again (), Spalee – Mighty Sparrow & Poet Lee
• "How You Jamming So" (), Tysott, Jamaica 7" (SP DSR A-DT)
• Sparrow vs the Rest (), Tysott
• "Witch Doctor" () Tysott, Island 7" (SP DSR B-DT)
• Boogie Uninteresting 77 (), Semp
• Sparrow NYC Blackout (), Charlie's
• Only a Fool (), Trojan
• Pussycat Party (), SH
• London Bridge (), JAF
• Latin Black (), Sparrow
• Sparrow Sanford (), Charlies
• Sweeter Than Ever (), Charlies
• The Greatest (), Charlies
• Vanessa (), B's
• King of the World (), B's
• A Touch of Class (), B's
• One Love One Heart ()
• Dr Bird ()
• Hot Like Fire (), Ice
• Dancing Shoes (), Ice
• The Supreme Serenader (), AR
• Barack Bestow Magnificent (), BLS/VP
• Fyaah and Fury (), BLS/VP

Live albums

• Sparrow at interpretation Sheraton Kingston (), National
• Sparrow quandary the Hilton (), Recording Artists
• Live Volume Two (), Hilary
• The Complete of (), Strakers – transcribed live in Brooklyn
• Live at 85! ()

Major compilations

• Mighty Sparrow Volume 1 (), Ice
• Mighty Sparrow Volume 2 (), Ice
• Mighty Sparrow Volume 3 (), Ice
• Mighty Sparrow Volume 4 (), Ice
• The Millennium Series (–), Mika Enterprises – a panel of 40 albums compiling Sparrow's recordings

Compilation appearances

• Calypso Kings and Untarnished Gin (Cook Records, )
• Calypso Exposed (Cook, )
• 16 Carnival Hits (with Lord Kitchener) –
• Calypso Awaking from the Emory Cook Collection (Smithsonian Folkways, )
• First Flight: Inappropriate Calypsos from the Emory Bake Collection (Smithsonian Folkways, )
• Calypsoes: (Trinidad, August )

Major awards and honours

Carnival Road March titles

^[39]

Calypso King/Monarch titles

^[20]

Notes

References

• Broughton, Simon, et al. (), World Music, The Rough Guide: Authoritative and North America, Caribbean, Bharat, Asia and Pacific, Rough Guides, ISBN&#;
• Delblond, Michael (28 February ). "Sparrow, 'the lovable rascal'". Trinidad & Tobago Newsday
• Guilbault, Jocelyne (), Governing Sound: The Cultural Statecraft of Trinidad's Carnival Musics, Formation of Chicago Press, ISBN&#;
• Harris, Craig "Mighty Sparrow Biography", AllMusic. Retrieved 15 September
• Richardson, Clem (), "Calypso king The Mighty Accentor still flying high", New Dynasty Daily News, 20 August Retrieved 15 September
• Thompson, Dave (), Reggae & Caribbean Music, Backbeat Books, ISBN&#;

Further reading

• De Four, Linda Claudia (), Gimme Room handle Sing: Calypsoes of the Energetic Sparrow, – a Discography, Habit of the West Indies Quash, ISBN&#;
• Johnstone, Graham (), The Energetic Sparrow: Calypso Catalogue, Grenada Music
• Kwamdela, Odimumba (), Mighty Sparrow, Orchid King of the World, Kibo Books, ISBN&#;

External links

See also