I’m a big fan of the Mighty Sparrow. He’s often very sharp politically and socially. He often very funny too. Sometimes he’s outrageously funny. You can’t quite believe what he’s singing.
Other times, songs don’t work as well. He can be too serious or too frivolous. Yet even here, there are dumb throw aways and great throw aways. I have to admit that I’ve only scratched the surface of his lifetime output.
He is also called Slinger Francisco. I once saw him perform at a free Summer concert in New York City. It was a memorable show.
I know his earlier, classic work better than his newer stuff. That 4 CD Ice Records set is wonderful (I’ve got 3 out of 4) plus I’ve got a few LPs on vinyl. Long live the Mighty Sparrow!
Bio:
http://www.mightysparrow.com/biopage.htm
lyrics to 1964’s Martin Luther King For President:
http://sniff.numachi.com/pages/tiMLKING1.html
Barack the Magnificent:
http://kid5rivers.blogspot.com/2008/02/barack-magnificent-lyrics.html
The Ice Records Series:
http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/2916489/a/Volume+Four.htm
http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=941&name=Mighty+Sparrow
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_Records
Recent health problems and death rumors:
http://www.trinidadandtobagonews.com/blog/?p=4078
One of his songs deals hilariously with death rumors!
I Hear Music 