Surely, this cannot be the last Ramajay of the great one, the man fondly known as 'The Birdie' aka 'The Mighty Sparrow? Cross your fingers, kneel and prayer that Sparrow will survive and live to talk about this experience and we can all breathe a sigh of relief. Say it isn't so! Hell no, this cannot happen to our hero... Sparrow cannot be in a hospital bed, lying there and clinging to life, in a coma? Indeed that is the case and while most of us are in shock and are fighting to find worthy words of condolence, we have to honor the wishes of his family and grant them the privacy they have asked for in this dire situation.
Statement from Sparrow's family:
“The family of Slinger Francisco, The Mighty Sparrow, is sad to announce that the Calypso King Of The World is in a New York hospital in a coma.
“The family is asking fans and the people of Trinidad and Tobago to pray for him and to respect their privacy. An update on his progress will be announced.”
The first report, that I saw in print, of the Mighty Sparrow's condition was on islandmix.com. The thread titled "Breaking News: The Mighty Sparrow in a coma... he might not make it" was first reported by Vincypowa on Saturday September 7, 2013 at 5:40 pm. I made some calls to get confirmation and even contacted WACK radio in Trinidad for confirmation of the news story. Everyone had the same information and many considered the story another 'rumor mill' fabrication. Well now we know differently with the family confirming the story and asking for privacy during this period of uncertainty for the great one. It is quite possible that the coma could be related to his struggles with diabetes.
Statement from Sparrow's family:
“The family of Slinger Francisco, The Mighty Sparrow, is sad to announce that the Calypso King Of The World is in a New York hospital in a coma.
“The family is asking fans and the people of Trinidad and Tobago to pray for him and to respect their privacy. An update on his progress will be announced.”
The first report, that I saw in print, of the Mighty Sparrow's condition was on islandmix.com. The thread titled "Breaking News: The Mighty Sparrow in a coma... he might not make it" was first reported by Vincypowa on Saturday September 7, 2013 at 5:40 pm. I made some calls to get confirmation and even contacted WACK radio in Trinidad for confirmation of the news story. Everyone had the same information and many considered the story another 'rumor mill' fabrication. Well now we know differently with the family confirming the story and asking for privacy during this period of uncertainty for the great one. It is quite possible that the coma could be related to his struggles with diabetes.
The Mighty Sparrow is considered the greatest calypsonian to grace this planet. He was born in Grenada and taken to Trinidad as a child. It was in grammar school that his talent as a singer was first discovered.He debuted as a calypsonian is 1956 and with his now deceased friend "Lord Kitchener" controlled the calypso world in Trinidad and Tobago. It was an amazing period of our musical and cultural history; and for those of us lucky enough to experience the rivalry, one can easily reflect and question if anyone "can truly forget the great rivalry between those two great singers and not look back in awe". May God smile on "The Birdie" and bless him with longevity in the same way he ruled the Calypso World.
The Mighty Sparrow went on to win the Calypso Monarch competition eight (8) times with recorded victories in 1956, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1992. He also stamped his name on the Road March competition; he came out on top six (6) times starting in 1956 and followed up with victories in 1958, 1960, 1961, 1969 and 1984. It should be noted that also won the Calypso King of the World competition two times (the only times that competition took place). He is the 'Greatest Calypsonian' ever!
The Mighty Sparrow went on to win the Calypso Monarch competition eight (8) times with recorded victories in 1956, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1992. He also stamped his name on the Road March competition; he came out on top six (6) times starting in 1956 and followed up with victories in 1958, 1960, 1961, 1969 and 1984. It should be noted that also won the Calypso King of the World competition two times (the only times that competition took place). He is the 'Greatest Calypsonian' ever!
We take this opportunity here to wish Dr. Slinger Francisco aka 'The Mighty Sparrow' a speedy recovery; the prayers of our nation (Trinidad and Tobago) and the rest of the Caribbean region are with this great singer - our hero! The 'Birdie' may not be able to 'ramajay' at this time but he has left us with a lasting catalog of music that will live on forever! The following YouTube Clip is a presentation of some of his classic hit songs.