Profile of the Mighty Sparrow

Slinger Francisco was born in the village of Grand Roy, Grenada. He moved to Trinidad at an early age. He began singing calypso in the early 1950's adapting the calypso nickname Mighty Sparrow.

He earned his under whelming nickname (most calypso singers dealt in more self-aggrandizing names such as Executor and Lion) by virtue of his stage performances, which involved him moving around rapidly while most other singers were stationary.

Sparrow was rewarded with the Calypso Crown of 1956 for his song "Jean And Dinah", which protested about the fallout from Americans who had left Trinidad's military bases. At the same time he lent his support to Eric Williams' People's National Movement, writing many calypso songs in praise of the nationalist leader.

His anthem "Cricket Lovely Cricket" was a particularly painful reminder to UK cricket fans after the humiliating drubbing West Indian star batsman Garfield Sobers gave to the English team in the early 50s. In politics, however, he subsequently revised his position in the 60s as the initial optimism of the PNP soured into disillusionment. Despite his earlier recordings, calypso was ironically just beginning to secure a large following in the USA.

Sparrow's popularity was such that in the 50s and 60s he was capable of filling a venue such as New York's Madison Square Gardens. With the development of soca, Sparrow became a willing convert, although he faced some opposition from calypso purists who despised the new hybrid.

Sparrow's achievement over the years was attained by much hard work, study, due diligence, and the ability to make his music as relevant as possible to his audience worldwide. Early in his career, he listened carefully, and understood the essential elements of the works of the top Calypsonians of the time in order to determine where he wanted Calypso, as an art form, to go. The earthy style of Lord Melody, who eventually became Sparrow's favorite Calypsonian and close friends, attracted him as did Lord Kitchener's ability to please both Trinidadians as well as the international audience. From music books, Sparrow taught himself to play the guitar. Going one step further from learning all the tunes of the reigning Calypsonians' work by heart, early in his career, he tried his hand at composing and, in 1954, he made his Calypso Tent debut as a professional at the Old Brigade Tent on South Quay, Port of Spain. There, he used the sobriquet Little Sparrow. He enthralled the demanding T&T Calypso Tent audience with his composition --- "The Parrot and the Monkey."

Here is a list of his music spanning over 50 years

A
Ah Do Come So (1979)

Ah Digging Horrors (1975)
Ah Watchin' He
Ah Got to Have You (1961)
Ah Fraid the AIDS (1986)
Ah Fraid Pussy Bite Me (1969)
Alien Woman (1979)
All In The Game (1989)
All The Way To Italy (1990)
Animal Beauty Contest
Attempt as Good as the Act
Ayatollah (1981)

B

B.G. War (1962)
B.G. Plantain (1966)
Bacchanal (1971)
Bad Johns (1974)
Bag Ah Sugar (1966)
Bajan Dolphus
Bald Head (1988)
Bang Bang Lu Lu
Behave Yourself (1961)
Benwood Dick (1960)
Big Bamboo
Bikini Girl (1966)
Bois Bande
Bongo (1969)
Boogie Beat '77 (1977)
Brassorama (1973)
Brenda (1974)
Bull Pistle Gang (1964)
BYO (1984)

C

Calypso Boogaloo (1968)
Calypso Twist
Cant You See You're Meant for Me
Capitalism Gone Mad (1983)
Carlton Peeping at Me
Carnival Vendor (1974)
Carnival in '68 (1968)
Carnival Woman (1977)
Carnival (1965)
Carnival Boycott (1957)
Castro Eating Banana
Charlie (1960)
Child Father (1961)
Children Must Learn (1971)
Children's Stories (1967)
Chinese Love Affair (1970)
Cock Fight (1969)
Cockeyed Rooster (1988)
Coins in the Fountain (1961)
Coke is Not It (1986)
Come Back Home
Congo Man (1965)
Corbeau Sheltering Rain
Cowboy Melo (1960)
Crawfie (1977)
Crazy John (1968)
Cuatro Man (1975)

Dan Is the Man (1963) Crown
Darling You Don't Know (1961)
De Jamet (1986)
Dead or Alive (1980)
Dear Sparrow (1958)
Doctor Bird (1988)
Document Pan (1989)
Don't Back Back (1984) RM
Don't Drop De Tempo (1980)
Don't Hold Me (1975)
Don't Trust Jamaica Man (1973)
Donkey Can't Wine (1971)
Dorothy
Dragon Dance (1976)
Drink Your Balisier (1961)
Drunk and Disorderly (1972) Crown & RM
Du Du Yemi (Natasha) (1978)
Duncan (1968)
Dutch Romance (1970)

E

Easy (1985)
Education  A Must (1967)
Ee Don Dey (1967)
Elaine See the Moon (1965)
Elaine (1961)
English Diplomacy
English Society
Eve
Explorer (1959)

Family Size Coke
Fatman (1975)
Federation (1962) Crown
Ferris Wheel
First Black Miss Universe (1978)
Fool and His Money
Fowl Thief Melo (1961)
Freezing in New York (1961)
Funky Carnival (1974)

G
Garfield Sobers (1966)
Get to Hell Outa Here (1965)
Gloria (1961)
Going Home Tonight (1966)
Good Citizen (1971)
Governor's Ball (1967)
Grandpa's Advice (1970)
Grenada (1984)
Gu Gnu gu (1980)
Gun Slingers (1959)

H
Half-Baked Duck
Hangman's Cemetery (1962)
Happy School Days (1971)
Harry, Elaine & Mama (1963)
Harry in the Piggery
Hasely Crawford Like a Bullet (1977)
Heaven's Gate (1971)
Hello People (1971)
Honesty (1966)
How You Jamming So (1975)
Human Rights (1981)

I
I Love You So
I Love New York (1982)
I Should have Told You
Idi Amin (1978)
Interdependence (1980)
Invade South Africa (1986)
Isolate South Africa (1982)

J
Jack Palance (1956)
Jane (1968)
Jane (1968)
Jean and Dinah (1956) Crown & RM
Jean Marrabunta
Jennifer (1987)
Jerk (1967)
Jook for Jook (1968)

K
Karl Say (1981)
Keep the City Clean (1961)
Kennedy & Kruschev
Kennedy Can Handle Them (1963) Crown
Kerry Packer (1979)
King Kong (1978)

L
Learn to Cook (1970)
Leave the Damn Doctor (1960)
Leggo Me Stick (1974)
Lend a Hand (1971)
Let The Music Play (1990)
Levez Mako (1971)
Lie Down in Hell (1978)
Lion and Donkey Rematch (1974)
Lockjoint (1964)
London Bridge (1980)
Love African Style (1980)
Love One Another (1967)
Lucy Garden (1961)
Lulu (1960)
Lying Excuses (1987)
Lying Excuses Part Two (1988)

M
Macco Man (1968)
Mad Bomber
Madame Dracula (1960 & 1961)
Mae Mae/May May (1960) Crown & RM
Make Me do It (1971)
Man Before Morning (1971)                                   
Man Like to Feel (1965)
Mango Vert
Mango Wood (1957)
Manjhay (Mange) (1989)
Marajhin (1982)
Marajhin Cousin (1984)
Marajhin Sister (1983)
Margarita (1983)
Maria (1960)
Marijuana (1971)
Martin Luther King (1969)
Martin Luther King for President (1964)
Mas in Caracas (1980)
Mas in May (1973)
Mas in Brooklyn (1969)
Melda (Obeah Wedding)  (1966) RM
Melo (1989)
Melody '72 (1972)
Melody Lie (1958)
Memories (1973)
Miss Little Pig (1973)
Miss Mary (1974) Crown
Miss Ruby (1972)
Mistakes (1981)
Model Nation
Monica Doo Doo (1960)
More Cock (1972)
Mother in Law (1967)
Mother's Love/Mother (1965)
Move Your Hand (1961)
Mr. Walker (1968)
Mr. Herbert (1959)
Mr. Mama Yoh (1977)
Mr. Simpson (1959)
Music Pan (1977)
Music to Wine (1989)
Music and Rhythm (1975)
My Connie (1973)
My Parade (1977)
My Woman (1975)

N
Neurosis of the Rich (1975)
New York Blackout (1978)
Nice Senorita (1961)
No Doctor No (1957)
No Love (1972)
No Kinda Man At All (1973)
No More Rocking and Rolling
No Future (1974)
No Money No Love (1967)
No Money For Dat (1985)
Nothing for Nothing (1961)
Number 69

O
Obeah Wedding (1966)
Obeah Man (1979)
One Hand Man (1968)
One Love One Heart (1987)
One Hundred Anniversary (1983)
Outcast (1964)

P
P.A.Y.E. (1958) RM
Pan Tuner (1978)
Pan Jam Fest (1975)
Panman (1970)
Papa Jack (1966)
Papa Rat (1978)
Parables (1971)
Par Quiea Mweh(Don't Call Me) (1990)
Patsy (1965)
Peace and Love
Pesent Government (1961)
Petit Willie (1988)
Phillip My Dear (1983)
Play You Mas (1980)
Plenty Style (1961)
Pogo Stick (1971)
Poopsin Poopsin (1975)
Popularity Contest
Post Card to Sparrow (1958)
Priest (1974)
Princess and the Cameraman (1961)
Prophet of Doom (1983)
Pussy Cat (1969)
Pussy Cat (1979)
Pussy Quarrelling (1973)
Pussy Laughing at Me (1971)
Pyramid (1985)

Q
Queen of the Band (1971)
Queen's Canary (1957)

R
Raphaela (1960)
Rastamania (1978)
Renegades (1962)
Reply to Melody
Revenge
Rip Off (1979)
Robbery with V (1962)
Robinson (1964)
Rock Your Body (1982)
Rocking Soca (1988)
Rope (1972) Crown
Rose (1961)
Royal Jail (1961) RM
Rufus (1967)
Rum is Macho (1980)
Russian Satellite (1958)

S
Sa Sa Yea (1969) RM
Sailing Boat Experience
Sailor Man (1957)
Salt Fish (1975)
Sam "P" (1984)
Same Time, Same Place (1973) Crown
Sandra (1967)
Sanford (1981)
Saturday Night (1970)
Save the World (1980)
School Days (1973) Crown
Sedition (1971)
Sell the Pussy (1970)
Sex Education (1971)
Sexy (1977)
Shake for Carnival (1988)
Shake Your Waist (1970)
Shango Man (1967)
Shanty Town People (1966)
Short Little Shorts
Situation in Trinidad
Sixty Million Frenchmen (1969)
Sixty Nine
Slave
Slight Mistake (1975)
Smart Bajan (1962)
Soca Man (1984)
Soca Disco (1981)
Soca Pressure (1985)
Solomon Affair (1965)
Somebody in the Party (1985)
Songs of Your Land (1975)
Sparrow Come Back Home (1962) Crown
Sparrow Dead (1969)
Spider (1972)
Spy Dust (1986)
Statue (1975)
Steelband Music (1975)
Steering Wheel (1965)
Stella
Stupid Married Man
Sweet Loving (1971)
Sweeter Than You (1970)
Sweetman (1973)
Sweetness (1971)

T
Take Your Bundle and Go (1962)
Tattooed Lady
Tell San Fernando (1977)
Ten to One is Murder (1962 ?) Crown
Teresa (1958)
Thanks to the Guardian (1961)
The Rebel (1966)
The Death of Kennedy (1963)
The Old Bed (1977)
The Robot (1979)
The Party Can't Done (1967)
The Old Man and the Donkey (1963)
The King of Kings
The High Cost of Living (1955)
The Lizard (1969)
The Base (1958)
The Bomb/A Bomb In The City (1979)
Thirteen Year Old Mabel (1956)
This Party Can't Done
Tobago Gal (1980)
Toronto Mas (1972)
Tourist Parade (1967)
Treat She Nice
Trinidad Carnival (1957)
Trinidad Woman (1974)

U
Unhappy Me

V
Vanessa (1985)
Village Ram (1964)

W
Wahbeen & Grog (1962)
Wanted Dead or Alive (1980)
Warm and Tender
We Are the Musicians (1982
We Kinda Music (1975)
We Like It So (Steelbeam) (1982)
We Pass that Stage (1974) Crown
Well Spoken Moppers (1965)
Who Can I turn To ?
Who She Go Cry For? (1969)
Whole Night (1986)
Why (1971)
Wife and Boat (1975)
Wilhemena (1970)
William the Conqueror (1957)
Wine Back (1975)
Winer Girl (1972)
Witch Doctor (1975)
Wood in the Fire (1968)
Woop Wine (1977)
Wum Pum (1972)

Y
You Can't Get Away From the Tax (1959)
You Don't Love Me
You Mad (1980)
You're Mine
Yvonne (1990)
 

Z
Zinah (1971)