Calypso Legend The Mighty Sparrow, Dies at 91

“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Trinidad and Tobago’s Calypso icon, Slinger Francisco, known to the world as The Mighty Sparrow,” the statement from his family, shared by daughter Karen Francisco, began. “He was an institution in the entertainment industry, well admired for his skill and finesse as a singer, songwriter and mentor; beloved by many.”The Mighty Sparrow was born in Grand Roy, Grenada, in July 1935, emigrating with his parents to Trinidad and Tobago in 1937. The young Slinger Francisco got his start singing in church, but calypso came calling. His first international hit, “Jean and Dinah” in 1956, displayed the singer’s monumental ability to create witty music with a message – the song referred to the hard times sex workers faced in Trinidad after the United States military closed bases there.Throughout the years, The Mighty Sparrow would add more songs to his extensive discography along those lines, born out of the Caribbean’s Carnival traditions. These songs covered everything from politics, including “Model Nation,” which celebrated Trinidad & Tobago’s 1962 independence, “Slave,” which detailed the history of enslavement in the Caribbean...