Slinger francisco biography meaning
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:: Sparrow's roots are in Gran Roi, a rural fishing village in Grenada.
“Celebrant, chantwell, warrior, prophet, satirist, and purveyor of joy, delight and elation: raconteur of the folk tales of our daily grass-rooted life.” The OCC Awardee to whom such adultations belong is the Caribbean’s most celebrated and renowned entertainer, social commentator and ambassador extraordinaire, Dr.
Slinger Francisco, whom the world knows as “The Mighty Sparrow”.
His cross-national Caribbean identity is born out of Grenada, his birthplace, and Trinidad and Tobago, his homeland since the early age of two.
The Mighty Sparrow, in his 48 years as a singer of the uniquely Caribbean art form of Calypso, has delighted and entertained on various world stages winning numerous Calypso Monarch titles, and the King of Kings competitions both times he competed in 1985 and 1988.
His songs speak to the multifaceted dimensions of the Caribbean experience, its political culture, its history, its peoples way of life and struggles, satirising and even admonishing in its social commentary.
Slinger Francisco, AKA “The Mighty Sparrow,” is known the world over as the Calypso King of The world. “Sparrow has been rebel, warrior, the aggressive life force beneath the very foundations of Caribbean society, pushing down walls, transgressing boundaries of race, colour, class and caste, defining freedom”.
« Dr.
William Gilbert DemasDr.
The late Secretary of State (and Calypso aficionado) Colin Powell called him “The Mount Olympus of Calypso.”
His awards and honors include:
1987 — Honorary Doctor of Letters (D. He has toured the world for over half a century, written over 500 songs, and recorded over 70 albums. Peggy Antrobus »
The Mighty Sparrow - Calypso King Of The World: Bio
Dr.
He started singing in the choir at New Town Boys RC School and at age 14 joined a steel band comprised of neighbourhood boys. Litt.) from the University of the West Indies
2013 — Lifetime Achievement Award, Trinidad & Tobago Government
2015 — Awarded Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE)
2019 — GlobalFEST Lifetime Artist Award
Charlie Sloth
Slinger Francisco, better known as The Mighty Sparrow is a calypso singer, songwriter, and guitarist.
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:: Known as the "Calypso King of the World," he is one of the most well-known and successful calypsonians.
Slinger Francisco, AKA ‘The Mighty Sparrow’
Sparrow’s career expands over forty years during which he has won many awards and honours. Born July 9, 1935, in the fishing village of Grand Roy, Grenada, he relocated to Trinidad W.I. in 1937. He’s been a cross-genre stylist, incorporating pan-African, funk, and soca flavors, crooning ballads, and singing Christmas favorites, spirituals, and “gospelypso.” No other Calypsonian in history has had the musical breadth and such broad appeal across music categories.
The Mighty Sparrow has won Trinidad’s Carnival Road March competition eight times, Calypso King/Monarch eight times, and twice earned the Calypso King of Kings designation.
The Mighty Sparrow:Wikipedia | Official Site
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:: At the tender age of 20, Sparrow emerged, as the leading Calypsonian with his record-breaking hit, Jean and Dinah.
:: The Mighty Sparrow has won the Trinidad Carnival's prestigious Road March competition nine times and has been named Calypso Monarch eight times.
:: Still recording and performing today, the Sparrow recently released a campaign song for the US elections called Barack the Magnificent as well as reworking his classic from '65, Congo Man, for Machel's Flame On album.
:: Over the years, his musical style has adapted from calypso to soca with ease, and his lyrics have understood the changes in the world without losing any humour.
In 1977 he embarked on a tour of West Africa, during which he was given the honorary Yoruba title, Chief Omo Wale of Ikoyi. His works cover every imaginable topic from humour, history, social and political commentary, to science and necromancy - and are the basis of which he was conferred with an honorary Doctor of Letters from The University of the West Indies.
Walker” to “Obeah Wedding” to the infamous “Congo Man” (banned for 23 years by the BBC!), and too many more to mention here—that are known well throughout the Caribbean.
In 1969, Sparrow teamed up with Jamaican musician Byron Lee to record “Only A Fool Breaks His Own Heart,” which was a hit in the UK and in the Netherlands, where it re-entered the charts eight years later, spending a staggering 27 weeks on the charts and peaking at #2 in the spring of 1978.
Throughout the second half of the 20th century, “Birdie” (as he is known to his fans), revolutionized Calypso, taking it from its pure folk roots and injecting elements of Jazz and American Pop, transforming it into an international, cross-cultural art form.
He was also awarded Trinidad and Tobago’s highest award ‘The Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago’ (ORTT).
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“As far as concept and intelligence and warring with words, Mighty Sparrow was and probably still is the king … His shows are like prize fights and he always comes out on top, all this and a fifteen or twenty piece band just blasting away … He’s fantastic.” — Bob Dylan (Biograph box set notes)
Slinger Francisco, The Mighty Sparrow, was born on July 9, 1935 in Grand Roy, Grenada, and migrated to Trinidad with his family when he was one year old.
Thus followed a run of songs over the decades—from “Mr.
His first performance as a professional calypso singer came in 1954 with the song The Parrot and the Monkey, and he went on to have such hits as Jean and Dinah, The Queen’s Canary, Yankees Gone; and who would forget Mae Mae, The Lizard, The Big Bamboo, and many more great hits. His music has achieved worldwide recognition, touching on issues of international significance.
Sparrow’s colossal collection of recordings has earned him numerous awards and commendations from various Caribbean Governments, including the Chaconia Gold Medal for long and meritorious service, Trinidad and Tobago’s second highest honour, honours from several North American cities where he performed, and the conferral of the Honorary Doctor of Letters degree by the University of the West Indies.
This legendary and iconic Caribbean artiste soothes the Caribbean’s soul through his music and forged a Caribbean cultural identity worldwide through the excellence and profundity of his performances.
The career achievements of this loved son of the Caribbean soil are captured succinctly in this extract from the citation presented at the conferral of his OCC award.
He was born to a poor working class family. He won Trinidad and Tobago's Carnival Road March competition eight times, Calypso King/Monarch eight times, and has twice captured the Calypso King of Kings Title.
Dr.