Mighty Sparrow (red) and Arrow (white) and friends during a calypso concert cruise in the summer of 1999.
The first time I heard the unmistakable voice of the Mighty Sparrow it was emanating from a jukebox in my father’s small rum shop on the main corner in Cork Hill, Montserrat. It was sometime in the early 1970s when I was a mere lad of about 3 or 4. The juke featured songs by many different artists, including other calypsonians and even American soul singers, but Sparrow appeared to be the most popular choice by the patrons who would drop a quarter in the slot, select a tune and wait eagerly for a lever to retrieve the 45 RPM vinyl record and position it to play.
I distinctly recall hearing Drunk and Disorderly, which was not only a hit but also appropriate at my dad’s bar, where inebriated men often had to be restrained from starting fist fights. Many would depart for home staggering into the night. Apparently, hangovers didn’t exist in Montserrat because these men would show up to work the next day, capably perform their jobs, then return to the bar in the evening and get drunk again.
The music of Sparrow was usually in the background of the bar banter. Other songs from that era stand out for me, such as Mr. Walker, Miss Mary and How You Jamming So. In a way the passing of Slinger “Mighty Sparrow” Francisco on September 27, 2026, felt like a death in the family. He was such a staple in the Caribbean – for the better part of seven decades – that it seemed like he would always be around. So confirmation of his demise was shocking, even at the enviable age of 91.
Sparrow has been described as the greatest calypsonian of all time. The term “greatest of all time” is often used loosely, but in the case of Sparrow it is accurate. By any metric used to rate a performer – longevity, impact, success – he achieved it. He could sing, dance, write and was a great showman. He sang jumpy songs and social commentaries with equal success. He was reverent and irreverent. He told jokes and imitated the singing styles of Nat King Cole and Louis Armstrong. He could even perform ballads, such as his 1965 hit Only A Fool. He was a true all-rounder, just like Sir Garfield Sobers, another Caribbean stalwart who died just two months earlier.
Sparrow first earned fame in 1956 with Jean And Dinah, which began as a jingle and then exploded. He was not the first calypsonian to use double entendre and suggestive themes but he became the best at it, straddling the lines of decency with Bang Bang Lulu, Congo Man, Ah Fraid Pussy Bite Me, Willie Dead and Saltfish. He sang about girls: Mae Mae, Margarita, Marajhin, Rose, Melda, Jane, Rose Marie, Jean Marabunta, and more. But he could also deliver serious social commentaries such as Slave, Education and Survival.
Sparrow took calypso to nations such as Japan and even to the famed Carnegie Hall in New York. He also performed several times in Montserrat, and his connection with the Emerald Isle is palpable.
MEMORABLE CONCERT
The Mighty Sparrow’s first concert in Montserrat took place in 1968, according to recollections from several sources. The event was sponsored by the Montserrat Jaycees, who also promoted the annual Festival. By this time, Sparrow was a huge star, and his presence in Montserrat was highly anticipated and attended.
John Wilson, a longtime Plymouth businessman and former Minister with the Government of Montserrat, said the concert took place at the old Tomato Factory on Church Road. The Right Honourable Basil Morgan – Montserrat’s only international cricket umpire and a local historian – said the show was held in the Montserrat Secondary School yard. Morgan says he’s sure because he was a maintenance employee at the school at the time.
“A stage was set up at the [Church Road] entrance to the school,” Morgan said. “Myself and a guy from Cork Hill named William Harper who we called Christmas Kiddy set up the chairs in the yard.”
Joycelyn Davis-Williams was a 16-year-old residing in George Street with her grandmother at the time. She says she “ran away” to attend the concert.
“I remember Sparrow was wearing some baggy pants and he was dancing and jumping around,” she said, adding, “and something else was jumping around too.”
Alfred Christopher, a three-time calypso king in Montserrat during the 1960s, remembers the concert.
“The stage was set up right outside one of the big windows at grammar school, so when Sparrow entered the stage he actually walked through a window.”
Said Morgan: “Sparrow was backed up by the Troubadors band. Calypso Rose was there as well and also a calypsonian from Guyana named Canary who had that popular song Dr. Beckles. After the concert the Troubadors and Sparrow walked to the Endeavor Club and performed there too.”
John Stanley Weekes, a former Attorney General in Montserrat, was a member of the Jaycees. He says Sparrow made several subsequent visits to Montserrat and once stayed at Wade Inn in Plymouth.
“I used to go to Wade Inn to play darts,” Weekes says. “I went there one day and Sparrow was sitting there. I asked him if he plays darts and he said no. I actually taught him to play darts. He was very friendly, very humble. I would best describe him as a Caribbean man. There was no uppishness about him.”
Weekes says Sparrow thoroughly enjoyed his time in Montserrat and paid a particular compliment to the people of the Emerald Isle.
“He said Montserrat treated him the best of all the islands,” said Weekes, who now resides in London. “He spoke about how some [promoters and sponsors] of the other islands robbed him.”
SPARROW AND ARROW
Sparrow’s connection with Montserrat was most evident through his friendship with Alphonsus “Arrow” Cassell, Montserrat’s late soca king. Their relationship had a bit of a rocky start. In 1971, Arrow visited Trinidad to record his first album, and he visited Sparrow at his home in Diego Martin to have the calypso legend listen to his material.
The late Justin “Hero” Cassell, Arrow’s brother and a calypso legend in his own right, attended the meeting. He said during an interview in 2012 that Sparrow was not impressed by the songs, and his coarse response left Arrow in tears. But he also gave the young performer some advice: “If you want to succeed be different to everyone else.”
Arrow later joined Sparrow’s Young Brigade Tent and would visit Trinidad annually to perform during Carnival. That tutelage in front of tough audiences in Trinidad armed Arrow with a level of confidence and professionalism that proved invaluable. In 1974, 1975 and 1976, Arrow walked away with the calypso crown in Montserrat, then quit competing locally to focus on his recording career.
Sparrow gave Arrow a vital platform, and years later Arrow returned the favor as a promoter when he added an aging Sparrow to his lineup. The two even participated in a “Sail The Caribbean Seas” concert tour in 1999. For a time both legends resided in New York City and were close friends.
Sparrow even mentions Montserrat and alludes to Arrow in his 1984 song Soca Man, declaring:
If you like that,
Go to Montserrat,
I am not a Soca Man
MEETING THE “BIRDIE”
On Sunday, May 11, 2014, I interviewed the Mighty Sparrow at the Signature Grand Hotel in Davie, Florida – about 15 miles north of Miami. At the time I was employed by the Miami Herald, but my interview with Sparrow was not a professional assignment. It was for my personal archives. Late in 2013 Sparrow was seriously ill and there were even rumors that he had died. So when I heard he had recovered and planned to perform in South Florida I decided it was a perfect time to finally meet the man whose voice I had heard for my entire life.
The Mother’s Day concert was promoted by the Trinidad & Tobago Nurses Association of South Florida. The show was scheduled to start at 8 p.m. I arrived at the hotel at 4 p.m. Several members of the Nurses Association were stationed in the lobby. I told them I wished to interview Sparrow, who had not yet arrived. They asked who I was and what publication I worked for. I told them I was with the Miami Herald and I produced my work ID. That revelation garnered instant respect, and they told me they would do their best to arrange the interview.
About two hours later I saw a small group entering the hotel with a familiar face among them. It was Sparrow, decked in a brown suit and walking slowly. Folks started to gravitate around him, shaking his hand, patting his back and telling him how great he looked. The 78-year-old smiled as he sauntered to his backstage room. A member of the Nurses Association, speaking in a Trinidad accent, told him: “Sparrow, a fella from the Miami Herald waiting patiently to interview you.” I was then escorted into the room, set up my video camera and conducted an interview that lasted about 12 minutes.
We discussed his recent illness, his lifestyle changes and some highlights from his career. He was congenial, amenable and patient. At the end of our interview, a member of the banquet staff brought meals for Sparrow and myself. It was a delicious-looking dish with salmon as the main course. But unfortunately I had to leave because my sister, who lived about 10 miles away, was waiting for me to arrive for a Mother’s Day dinner for our mom. Yes, I turned down an opportunity to have dinner with the legendary Sparrow. But there was a lot on my plate that day.
Watch the interview below.
OF ALL THE GIFTS THAT GOD HAS GIVEN CALYPSONIANS HE HAS GIVEN SPARROW ALL OF THEM. SPARROW IS THE MOST GIFTED OF THEM ALL.
– Hollis Liverpool, aka The Mighty Chalkdust
Your story brought out tears Pride