Calypso King of the World, Slinger “the Mighty Sparrow” Francisco, was one of the most influential figures in the history of calypso and one of the most distinctive voices to emerge from Trinidad and Tobago.
Following his passing on Sunday, 27 September 2026, at the age of 91, Her Excellency Christine Carla Kangaloo O.R.T.T., President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, said, “we have lost not merely a great calypsonian, but one of the great interpreters of Caribbean life.” Sparrow was, in Her Excellency’s words, “one of the voices by which we came to know ourselves.”
“For more than seven decades, he gave melody and language to our joys, our contradictions, our humour and our conscience. His wit could delight and unsettle; his music could move our feet while stirring our minds. He carried calypso to the world, and carried the character of our people with it,” Her Excellency said.
For his inimitable contribution to one of Trinidad and Tobago’s most enduring musical art forms, Sparrow was awarded the Hummingbird Medal Silver in 1969, the Chaconia Medal Gold in 1993 and the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in 2014.
Her Excellency extends her deepest condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of the Mighty Sparrow and joins the people of Trinidad and Tobago, the wider Caribbean and the world in mourning his passing and in celebrating the indelible mark he has left on our nation’s culture and identity.
