The Mighty Sparrow, Calypso King Of The World, Gets Baptised In New York

Mighty Sparrow, the undisputed Calypso King of the World, was baptized on Saturday at Far Rockaway Beach in Queens, New York.

According to the Searchlight newspaper in St Vincent and the Grenadines, Sparrow, 87, whose real name is Slinger Francisco, was “taken into the water of Holy Baptism by Vincentian Seventh Day Adventist Pastor, Claudius Morgan.” Morgan, a former calypsonian, carried the sobriquet “Samaritan Singer”.

The paper said Sparrow, who now resides in Queens, was “dressed in all white” for his water baptism.

“He is now known as Brother Francisco (and is) a member of the Linden Seventh Day Adventist Church in New York,” the Searchlight said.

Sparrow, who was born on July 9, 1935, is known for singles such as ‘Jean and Dinah’, ‘Sa Sa Yea’, ‘Both Of Them’, ‘Drunk and Disorderly’, ‘Survival’, ‘Capitalism Gone Mad’ and ‘Education’.

Sparrow, who grew up in Port-of-Spain, the Trinidad capital, was born in the fishing village of Grand Roy, Grenada.

He moved to Trinidad and Tobago as a one-year-old with his mother. His father had relocated there in 1937.

Sparrow, who is also a songwriter and guitarist, is regarded as one of the most renowned and most successful calypsonians.

He has won Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival Road March competition eight times, Calypso King/Monarch eight times, and has twice won the Calypso King of Kings title