Bye-bye, Birdie: The Calypso King of the World dies at 91

Slinger Francisco, known across the Caribbean and the world as the Mighty Sparrow, died peacefully in New York on September 27 after a brief illness, at age 91. His daughter Karen announced the death, calling him an institution in entertainment as well as a husband, father, grandfather and friend. Born in Grenada in 1935 and raised in Trinidad's Laventille from infancy, he rose through 1950s calypso tents to become an eight-time winner of both the Carnival Road March and the Calypso Monarch competitions.

His catalog, from 1956's 'Jean and Dinah' to 1984's 'Doh Back Back', spanned risque double entendre, biting social commentary on race, poverty and corruption, and party staples that still filled dance floors decades later. Tributes cited by outlets ranged from Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, who said his recordings carry the region's history, to Bob Dylan, who once called him unmatched in wit and command of words. One of his songs, 'Congo Man', was banned by the BBC for 23 years.

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