Mighty Sparrow, the 'calypso king of the world' Slinger Francisco, dies aged 91 in New York

From the Newshound archive · first published 28 September 2026.

Slinger Francisco, who performed as the Mighty Sparrow for seven decades, died peacefully surrounded by family in New York on Sunday after a brief illness. His daughter Karen Francisco confirmed he had embraced the Seventh-day Adventist faith and was baptised before his death. The Trinbago Unified Calypsonians' Organisation called him "a defining voice of our culture" who carried calypso from Trinidad and Tobago to the world. Born in Grenada in 1935, Francisco moved to Trinidad as a toddler and won the Calypso Monarch title eight times.

Francisco's 1956 hit 'Jean and Dinah' launched a career that produced hundreds of songs, including 'Congo Man', 'Dan Is the Man' and 'Obeah Wedding'.

He performed at Madison Square Garden and toured North America, Britain and the Caribbean, becoming calypso's most recognisable global ambassador.

His family said he was "a husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, life partner and friend" as well as a towering entertainer.