Slinger Francisco ORTT CM OBE (born 9 July 1935), better known as Mighty Sparrow, is a

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger, more populous island of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the country. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is the southernmost island in ...

ian calypso vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist. Known as the "Calypso King of the World", he is one of the best-known and most successful

calypsonian A calypsonian, originally known as a ''chantwell'', is a musician from the anglophone Caribbean who sings songs of the Calypso music, calypso genre. Calypsos are musical renditions having their origins in the West African griot tradition. Origin ...

s. He has won Trinidad's

Carnival Road March The Carnival Road March is the musical composition played most often at the "judging points" along the parade route during a Caribbean Carnival. Originating as part of the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival, the term has been applied to other Caribbea ...

competition eight times, Calypso King/Monarch eight times, and has twice won the Calypso King of Kings title.

Career

Slinger Francisco was born in the fishing village of Grand Roy, Grenada, West Indies, on 9 July 1935. He moved to

as a one-year-old with his mother, his father having relocated there in 1937.Thompson, p. 184.Harris He grew up in

Laventille Laventille is a suburb of Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobago. It is administered by the San Juan–Laventille Regional Corporation. Etymology The name ''Laventille'' hearkens back to colonial times, especially when the French dominated the cu ...

, a suburb of

Port of Spain Port of Spain ( ; Trinidadian and Tobagonian English, Trinidadian English: ''Port ah Spain'' ) is the capital and chief port of Trinidad and Tobago. With a municipal population of 49,867 (2017), an urban population of 81,142 and a transient dail ...

. He began singing as a small child, but his love of calypso was discouraged while at Newtown Boys Catholic School, where he sang in the choir. At the age of 14, he joined a steel band comprising neighbourhood boys, and performed with the band at Carnival. He received his performing name "Little Sparrow" during his early career, as a result of his energetic stage performances: After a couple of years, he changed his stage name to "Mighty Sparrow".Broughton et al (2000), p. 512. On leaving school, he began working for the government Control Board, but continued to perform calypso, which became the better paid of the two, and his residency at the Lotus Club made him a star locally.

Calypso King

His first performance as a carnival singer came in 1954, with "The Parrot and the Monkey". In 1955, Sparrow made his first recordings – "Missing Baby (Ruby)", "High Cost of Living" and "Race Track" for Vitadisc – which were included on the ''Royalties of Calypso Kingdom'' compilation a few years later. In 1955 and 1956, he also recorded "Give The Youngsters A Chance", "Family Size Coke", "Goaty", "Clara Honey Bunch" and "Yankee's Back Again" for GEMS, "Jean And Dinah" and "The Queen's Canary" for Kay, and "Sailor Man" for Veejay Special Ace. In 1956, Sparrow won Trinidad's Carnival

Road March The Carnival Road March is the musical composition played most often at the "judging points" along the parade route during a Caribbean Carnival. Originating as part of the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival, the term has been applied to other Caribbea ...

and Calypso King competitions with his most famous song, "

Jean and Dinah "Jean and Dinah" (When The Yankees Gon) is a calypso from Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean sung by calypsonian Mighty Sparrow Slinger Francisco Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, ORTT Chaconia Medal, CM Order of the British Empir ...

" (also known as "Yankees Gone", a song celebrating the departure of US troops from Trinidad).Thompson, p. 185. A live performance of "Yankees Gone" was included in the album ''Jump Up Carnival in Trinidad''. His prize for winning the Calypso King title was $40. In protest at the small sum (the winner of the Carnival Queen beauty contest won $7,500), he wrote the song "Carnival Boycott" and attempted to organize other singers to boycott the competition. About half of the singers followed, including

Lord Melody Lord Melody (1926 – 26 September 1988)Thompson, Dave (2002) ''Reggae & Caribbean Music'', backbeat Books, , p.154-155 was a popular Trinidadian calypsonian, best known for singles such as " Boo Boo Man", "Creature From The Black Lagoon", ...

. Sparrow claims credit for succeeding improvements in the conditions of calypso and steelband musicians in Trinidad, as well as the formation of the Carnival Development Committee, a musicians' assistance organization. Sparrow refused to officially participate in the competition for the next three years, but he continued to perform unofficially, even winning another Road March title in 1958 with "P.A.Y.E." He did perform at the 1957 carnival in the Young Brigade Calypso Tent, where the four songs he performed were recorded and later released on the album ''Calypso Kings and Pink Gin''. Sparrow went on to have local hits in 1956 and 1957 with singles such as "Jack Palance", "No Doctor No", and "Sailor Man", before beginning a musical slanging match with

, each releasing singles attacking the other.Thompson, p. 186. The rivalry went on for several years. In 1957, Sparrow recorded his first album, ''Calypso Carnival 58'', released the following year on the Balisier label. He again boycotted the carnival in 1959, choosing instead to tour extensively, and early that year released the album ''Sparrow in Hi Fi'' before signing a deal with

RCA RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded in 1919 as the Radio Corporation of America. It was initially a patent pool, patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Westinghou ...

, for whom he recorded eleven albums between 1960 and 1964.

Taking calypso abroad

Calypso music enjoyed a brief period of popularity in other parts in the world during the 1950s. Trinidadian expatriate Lord Kitchener had helped popularize calypso in the United Kingdom, and Sparrow also found some success there. In the United States, interest in calypso was sparked largely by

Harry Belafonte Harry Belafonte ( ; born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927 – April 25, 2023) was an American singer, actor, and civil rights activist who popularized calypso music with international audiences in the 1950s and 1960s. Belafonte ...

's 1956 album '' Calypso'', the first LP to sell over one million copies. In January 1958, Sparrow, along with longtime rival

, travelled to New York City seeking access to the American music audience. Sparrow had already been recording with Balisier and

Cook Records Cook Records was a record label founded by Emory Cook (1913–2002), an audio engineer and inventor. From 1952 to 1966, Cook used his Sounds of our Times and Cook Laboratories record labels to demonstrate his philosophy about sound, recording equipm ...

, and with Belafonte's help he also began to record for

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic ...

. He did not achieve the success he had hoped for; he said in a 2001 interview, "When nothing happened for me, I went back to England and continued on with my career." In 1960, Sparrow returned to the Calypso Monarch competition, winning his second Kingship and third Road March title with "Ten to One Is Murder" (an autobiographical song about an incident in which Sparrow allegedly shot a man)Delblond (2003) and "Mae Mae". He also began recording for his own label, National Recording. He won the Road March title in 1961 with "Royal Jail" and won his third Calypso King title in 1962 with "Model Nation" and "Sparrow Come Back Home". He won further titles in the 1960s and 1970s and continued to enjoy great popularity in Trinidad. He recorded prolifically, with forty albums released in the 1960s and 1970s. In the latter half of the 1960s his recordings began to be released in the United Kingdom. In 1968, he recorded the album ''Sparrow Meets the Dragon'' with

Byron Lee Byron Lee ,
, ''Jamaica Gleaner'', 27 October 2008. born Byron Aloysius St. Elmo Lee ...

in Jamaica. Their version of " Only a Fool Breaks His Own Heart" (written by Norman Bergen and Shelly Coburn) gave them an international hit in 1969, earning a gold disc upon its re-release in late 1977, igniting a No. 2 hit record in 1978 in the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

. He had his greatest success internationally in the 1970s, starting with the album ''The Best Of'', featuring live recordings in

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, New York of Sparrow favorites.Thompson, p. 188 In 1974, with

Van Dyke Parks Van Dyke Parks (born January 3, 1943) is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, arranger, record producer, singer, and former Warner Bros. Records executive whose work encompasses orchestral pop, elaborate recording experiments, Ame ...

as producer, he recorded the album ''Hot and Sweet'' for

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

in Miami, and the following year reunited with Byron Lee for the ''Sparrow Dragon Again'' album. He had a big hit in 1977 with "Crawford", a tribute to sprinter Hasley Crawford, and that year embarked on a tour of West Africa, during which he was given the honorary Yoruba title Chief Omo Wale of Ikoyi.Thompson, 187 In 1978, he recorded the album ''Only a Fool'' in London for

Trojan Records Trojan Records is a British record label founded by Jamaican Duke Reid, Lee Gopthal and Chris Blackwell in 1968. It specialises in ska, rocksteady, reggae and dub music. The label currently operates under the Sanctuary Records Group. Th ...

. Sparrow recognized the advantages of using New York as a base for recording and international touring, and by the mid-1960s moved his operation and family to

Jamaica, Queens Jamaica is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It has a popular large commercial and retail area, though part of the neighborhood is also residential. Jamaica is bordered by Hollis, St Albans, and Cambria Heights to the ea ...

. He became a fixture in Brooklyn’s Labor Day Carnival, regularly appearing at the big Dimanche Gras show at the

Brooklyn Museum The Brooklyn Museum is an art museum in the New York City borough (New York City), borough of Brooklyn. At , the museum is New York City's second largest and contains an art collection with around 500,000 objects. Located near the Prospect Heig ...

. He wrote a number of calypsos about life in New York, bookended by his 1969 classic "Mas in Brooklyn" and his provocative 1991 "Crown Heights Justice."

Soca

As soca began to supplant calypso in popularity in Trinidad and Tobago during the late 1970s and early 1980s, Sparrow embraced the hybrid of calypso and

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

fused with the local

chutney music Chutney music ( Caribbean Hindustani: चटनी संगीत, 𑂒𑂗𑂢𑂲 𑂮𑂑𑂹𑂏𑂲𑂞, چٹنی موسیقی) is a genre that blends Hindustani folk music, including Bhojpuri folk traditions, with Caribbean calypso an ...

. In 1984 he won his eighth Road March title with the soca-influenced "Doh Back Back". Also around this time, he began to spend at least half the year in New York City, finding an apartment in the West Indian neighborhoods in

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

, Queens. In 1985, he performed at the carnival's King of Kings show alongside The Mighty Swallow, Blue Boy, Scrunter, Blakie, Mighty Duke, and Black Stalin, taking the "King of Kings" title and the US$10,000 first prize. He would later win the title for a second time.Guilbault (2007), p. 154. His last major title came in 1992, with "Both of Them" and "Survival" winning him the Calypso Monarch title. He made an appearance at the Reggae Sunsplash festival in 1993. Although less active since the mid-1990s, Sparrow continued to perform, and tour into the 21st century; in a 2001 interview, he mentioned that he had been singing and performing a "

Gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...

-lypso" hybrid. In 2008, he released a song supporting

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

's presidential campaign, "Barack the Magnificent".Richardson (2010). He also did a remake of his "Congo Man" song with fellow Trinidadian Machel Montano on the 2008 '' Flame On'' album. In 2010, Sparrow left the stage in a wheelchair after a performance in Trinidad, and later that year was hospitalised after suffering an

inguinal hernia An inguinal hernia or groin hernia is a hernia (protrusion) of abdominal cavity contents through the inguinal canal. Symptoms, which may include pain or discomfort especially with or following coughing, exercise, or bowel movements, are absen ...

while performing in

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

.Mighty Sparrow recuperating after surgery"
, ''

Jamaica Observer The ''Jamaica Observer'' is a daily newspaper published in Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by ...

'', July 30, 2010. Retrieved September 15, 2013 He made a full recovery and continued to tour internationally. He has been hospitalised several times with complications of

diabetes Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...

. In September 2013, he was due to receive a lifetime achievement award from the Trinidad & Tobago consulate in New York, but was admitted to a New York hospital, where he fell into a coma for two weeks before regaining consciousness.Mighty Sparrow now conscious and responsive, relatives say"
''Jamaica Observer'', September 17, 2013. Retrieved September 18, 2013. He returned to public performance in January 2014, with a 40-minute set at a bar in

, New York.Sparrow hits road again"
''Jamaica Observer'', 23 January 2014. Retrieved 24 January 2014. At the end of the year, he was voted "Express Individual of the Year 2014" by the '' Trinidad Express''. In 2020, he released ''Live at 85!'', a recording from December 2019 of a show at Joe's Pub in New York City.

Lyrics

Sparrow's lyrics are famous for being witty, ironic, and ribald. He sings flirtatiously of the attractions of Hispanic women in "Margarita", and of East Indian women in "Marajhin".Broughton et al (2000), p. 529. He tells some outrageously frank tales of sexuality in "Mae Mae", "The Lizard" and "Big Bamboo", and there is humorous commentary on West Indian culture to be found in "

Obeah Obeah, also spelled Obiya or Obia, is a broad term for African diaspora religions, African diasporic religious, Magic (supernatural), spell-casting, and healing traditions found primarily in the British West Indies, former British colonies of th ...

Wedding" and "Witch Doctor".

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...

called his controversial song "Congo Man" "a wildly perverse piss-take on African roots, interracial revenge, interracial sex, male-female relations, and cannibalism". The 1965 song was criticized for its attitudes toward women and Africans, and banned from radio airplay until 1989. Sparrow also frequently comments on social and political issues in his songs.Guilbault (2007), p. 75.Hebdige, Dick (1987) ''Cut 'n' Mix'', Routledge, , p. 23. During his early career he was a supporter of

Eric Williams Eric Eustace Williams (25 September 1911 – 29 March 1981) was a Trinidad and Tobago politician. He has been dubbed as the " Father of the Nation", having led the then-British Colony of Trinidad and Tobago to majority rule on 28 October 1956, ...

and his

People's National Movement The People's National Movement (PNM) is the longest-serving and oldest active Politics of Trinidad and Tobago, political party in Trinidad and Tobago. The party has dominated national and local politics for much of Trinidad and Tobago's hist ...

(PNM), which formed in 1955 and led Trinidad and Tobago to independence in 1962;Broughton et al (2000), p. 513. songs such as "Leave The Damn Doctor Alone" and "William the Conqueror" mentioned Williams directly, while others such as "Federation" (blaming

for the breakup of the short-lived

West Indies Federation The West Indies Federation, also known as the West Indies, the Federation of the West Indies or the West Indian Federation, was a short-lived political union that existed from 3 January 1958 to 31 May 1962. Various islands in the Caribbean th ...

), "Our Model Nation" (celebrating Trinidadian independence), and "PAYE" (supporting the PNM's pay-as-you-earn tax system) echoed PNM positions. Sparrow did express discontent in 1957's "No, Doctor, No", but it was comparatively mild, and aimed at holding PNM politicians to their promises rather than replacing them. Sparrow cleverly combined political criticism with sexual innuendo in his mid-1960s song "BG Plantain", which decried the ban levied by PM Williams on imported plantain from

British Guiana British Guiana was a British colony, part of the mainland British West Indies. It was located on the northern coast of South America. Since 1966 it has been known as the independent nation of Guyana. The first known Europeans to encounter Guia ...

(BG); plantain, a large banana-shaped vegetable, is a staple of West Indian cuisine, and Sparrow praised the BG plantain as larger, sweeter, and superior to the home-grown Trinidadian variety. One of his most famous hits, "Dead or Alive" (1979), which achieved international acclaim, addressed the tyranny of rulers such as

Idi Amin Idi Amin Dada Oumee (, ; 30 May 192816 August 2003) was a Ugandan military officer and politician who served as the third president of Uganda from 1971 until Uganda–Tanzania War, his overthrow in 1979. He ruled as a Military dictatorship, ...

, the Shah of Iran and other leaders of the era. His tongue-in-cheek humour is best expressed by his 1970 hit "Sparrow Dead", which addressed the premature rumours of his death, which persist to this day. The lyrics of the song include: :"I hear he have cancer :I hear he have yellow fever :Something in the bladder :And a double dose of leukemia!" :Two gossip mongers gossipin' :I stand in a corner listenin' :Before I could ask who dey talkin' about :A newspaper boy started to shout :"Extra! Read all about it! Paper!" :"Who killed the Sparrow - nobody know . . . " :Well big mouth Lillian :Say de funeral was on television :She picky head cousin say that the coffin cost twenty thousand :This is why he sell de company :To pay de doctor and de burial fee!" In more recent times, Sparrow continues to incorporate social issues into his music. "Crown Heights Justice" is a plea for peace and understanding in the wake of the 1991 Crown Heights Riot in Sparrow's adopted home of New York City. The themes of peace, tolerance, and concern for the poor show up repeatedly in songs such as "Human Rights" (1981), "Capitalism Gone Mad" (1983), and "This Is Madness" (1995).

Discography

*''Calypso Carnival 58'' (1958), Balisier *''This Is Sparrow'' (1958), Balisier *''Sparrow in Hi Fi'' (1959), Balisier *''Sparrow'' (1960),

*''The Mighty Sparrow'' (1960), RCA *''Sparrow's Greatest Hits'' (1960), RCA *''More Sparrow's Greatest Hits'' (1960), RCA *''Sparrow Calypso King'' (1960), RCA *''Sparrow the Conqueror'' (1961), RCA *''The Calypso King of Trinidad'' (1961), RCA *''Sparrow Come Back'' (1962), RCA *''Calypso Sparrow'' (1963), RCA *''The Slave'' (1963), RCA *''Sparrow Sings Songs for Lovers'' (1964), RCA *''The Outcast'' (1964), National *''Christmas with Sparrow'' (1964), National *''Congo Man'' (1965), National *"Dan Is The Man" (1965), Wirl Records, Jamaica 7" *"Harry And Mama" (1965), Wirl Records, Jamaica 7" *''Sparrow's Calypso'' (1965), National *''Tattooed Lady'' (1966), National *''The Calypso Genius'' (1966), National *''Spicy Sparrow'' (1967), Recording Artists *''Sparrow Calypso Carnival'' (1968), Recording Artists *''Sparrow Meets the Dragon'' (1968), Spalee – aka ''Only a Fool'' – Mighty Sparrow &

Byron Lee Byron Lee ,
, ''Jamaica Gleaner'', 27 October 2008. born Byron Aloysius St. Elmo Lee ...

*"Jughead" (1969) Tiger, Jamaica 7" (DYNA 868) *''More Sparrow More'' (1969), Recording Artists *''Bang Bang Lulu in New York'' (1969), Recording Artists *''Calypso Time'' (1970), Recording Artists *''Calypso a la King'' (1971), Hilary *''Sparrow Power'' (1971), Recording Artists *''Moods of Sparrow'' (1972), Bestway *''Hotter Than Ever'' (1972), Recording Artists *''Sparrow Spectacular'' (1973), WIRL *''Knock Dem Down'' (1973), Recording Artists *''Hot and Sweet'' (1974),

– produced by

and Andy Wickham *''Calypso Maestro'' (1974), Recording Artists *''Sparrow Dragon Again'' (1975), Spalee – Mighty Sparrow & Byron Lee *"How You Jamming So" (1976), Tysott, Jamaica 7" (SP 1002 DSR 4048-A-DT) *''Sparrow vs the Rest'' (1976), Tysott *"Witch Doctor" (1976) Tysott, Jamaica 7" (SP 1002 DSR 4048-B-DT) *''Boogie Beat 77'' (1977), Semp *''Sparrow NYC Blackout'' (1977), Charlie's *''Only a Fool'' (1978),

Trojan Trojan or Trojans may refer to: * Of or from the ancient city of Troy * Trojan language, the language of the historical Trojans Arts and entertainment Music * '' Les Troyens'' ('The Trojans'), an opera by Berlioz, premiered part 1863, part 18 ...

*''Pussycat Party'' (1978), SH *''London Bridge'' (1979), JAF *''Latin Black'' (1980), Sparrow *''Sparrow Sanford'' (1981), Charlies *''Sweeter Than Ever'' (1982), Charlies *''The Greatest'' (1983), Charlies *''Vanessa'' (1984), B's *''King of the World'' (1984), B's *''A Touch of Class'' (1986), B's *''One Love One Heart'' (1987) *''Dr Bird'' (1988) *''Hot Like Fire'' (1992), Ice *''Dancing Shoes'' (1994), Ice *''The Supreme Serenader'' (1998), AR *''Barack De Magnificent'' (2008), BLS/VP *''Fyaah and Fury'' (2018), BLS/VP ;Live albums: *''Sparrow at the Sheraton Kingston'' (1963), National *''Sparrow at the Hilton'' (1967), Recording Artists *''Live Volume Two'' (1971), Hilary *''The Best of'' (1971), Strakers – recorded live in Brooklyn *''Live at 85!'' (2020) ;Major compilations: *''Mighty Sparrow Volume 1'' (1992), Ice *''Mighty Sparrow Volume 2'' (1993), Ice *''Mighty Sparrow Volume 3'' (1993), Ice *''Mighty Sparrow Volume 4'' (1994), Ice *''The Millennium Series'' (2000–2001), Mika Enterprises – a series of 40 albums compiling Sparrow's recordings ;Compilation appearances: *''Calypso Kings and Pink Gin'' (

, 1957) *''Calypso Exposed'' (Cook, 1961) *''16 Carnival Hits'' (with Lord Kitchener) – 1992 *''Calypso Awakening from the Emory Cook Collection'' (

Smithsonian Folkways Smithsonian Folkways is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. It is a part of the Smithsonian's Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, located at Capital Gallery in downtown Washington, D.C. The label was f ...

, 2000) *''First Flight: Early Calypsos from the Emory Cook Collection'' (Smithsonian Folkways, 2005) *''Calypsoes: (Trinidad, August 1959.)

Major awards and honours

* 1993 –

Chaconia Medal The Chaconia Medal (abbreviated C.M. or CM) is the second highest state decoration A state decoration is an object, such as a medal or the insignia of an Order (distinction), order, that is awarded by a sovereign state to honor the recipient. T ...

Gold * 1987- Honorary Doctor of Letters (D. Litt.) from the

University of the West Indies The University of the West Indies (UWI), originally University College of the West Indies, is a public university system established to serve the higher education needs of the residents of 18 English-speaking countries and territories in t ...

* 2013 – Lifetime Achievement Award, Trinidad & Tobago Government * 2015 Birthday Honours – Officer of the Most Excellent

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(OBE) *

Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago The Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (ORTT) is the highest honour of Trinidad and Tobago. Established in 2008, it replaced the Trinity Cross as the decoration for distinguished and outstanding service to the country. Recipients Ref ...

Carnival Road March titles

Thompson, p. 6.

Calypso King/Monarch titles

Thompson, p. 5.

Notes

References

*Broughton, Simon, et al. (2000), ''World Music, The Rough Guide: Latin and North America, Caribbean, India, Asia and Pacific'', Rough Guides, *Delblond, Michael (28 February 2003)
"Sparrow, 'the lovable rascal
''Trinidad & Tobago Newsday'' *Guilbault, Jocelyne (2007), ''Governing Sound: The Cultural Politics of Trinidad's Carnival Musics'', University of Chicago Press, *Harris, Craig
Mighty Sparrow Biography
,

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

. Retrieved 15 September 2013 *Richardson, Clem (2010)
"Calypso king The Mighty Sparrow still flying high"
''

New York Daily News The ''Daily News'' is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, New Jersey. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson in New York City as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in Tabloid (newspaper format ...

'', 20 August 2010. Retrieved 15 September 2013 *Thompson, Dave (2002), ''Reggae & Caribbean Music'', Backbeat Books,