Mighty Sparrow
Mighty Sparrow or Birdie (born July 9, 1935 as Slinger Francisco in Grandroy Bay, Grenada ) is a calypso singer, composer and guitarist. Known as the "Calypso King of the World", he is one of the most popular and successful calypso artists. He has won the "Trinidad's Carnival Road March" competition nine times and has been named "Calypso Monarch" eight times, more than anyone else.
Early years
Sparrow was born in Grenada but came to Trinidad when he was one year old . His first contact with music was in the choir of his school. At 14 he became interested in calypso and joined a steel band . He got his stage name back then:
Your calypso name is given to you by your peers, based on your style. In the old days they tried to emulate British royalty. There was Lord Kitchener , Lord Nelson, Duke. When I started singing, the bands were still using acoustic instruments and the singers would stand flat footed, making a point or accusing someone in the crowd with the pointing of a finger, but mostly they stood motionless. When I sing, I get excited and move around, much like James Brown , and this was new to them. The older singers said "Why don't you just sing instead of moving around like a little Sparrow." It was said as a joke, but the name stuck. -Mighty Sparrow
Calypso monarch
In 1956, Sparrow won the Carnival Road March and Calypso Monarch competitions in Trinidad with his most famous song, Jean and Dinah . The prize money for the Calypso Monarch was $ 40. As a protest against this small sum, he wrote the song Carnival Boycott and tried to persuade other singers to boycott the competition. About half of the artists followed him. Sparrow claims to have improved the conditions for calypso and steel band artists. He refused to take part in the competition for the next three years. In 1958, he again won the Carnival Road March with PAYE
Discography
- 1958: Calypso Carnival 1958 (Balisier)
- 1959: Sparrow In Hi-Fi (Balisier)
- 1959: Sparrow ( RCA Records )
- 1959: This Is Sparrow (Balisier)
- 1960: Mighty Sparrow (RCA Records)
Awards
| year | song |
|---|---|
| 1956 | Jean and Dinah |
| 1958 | PAYE |
| 1960 | Mae Mae |
| 1961 | Royal Jail |
| 1966 | Melda (Obeah Wedding) |
| 1969 | Sa Sa Yea |
| 1972 | Drunk and Disorderly |
| 1984 | Doh back back |
| year | Song # 1 | Song # 2 |
|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Jean and Dinah | no |
| 1960 | Ten to One is Murder | Mae Mae |
| 1962 | Sparrow Come Back Home | Federation |
| 1963 | Dan is the Man (In the Van) | kennedy |
| 1972 | Drunk and Disorderly | Rope |
| 1973 | School Days | Same time, same place |
| 1974 | We Pass That Stage | Miss Mary |
| 1992 | Both of Them | Survival |
Web links
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Sparrow, Mighty |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Birdie (pseudonym); Francisco, Slinger (maiden name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Grenadian musician, calypso singer, composer and guitarist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 9, 1935 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Grandroy Bay in Grenada |