By GHK Lall- Ninety-one and gone. A rapturous inning, one worthy of Lords, and the Royal Albert Hall. With the London Philharmonic accompanying. The Mighty Sparrow lasted long, seemed to have been around forever. What a singer and performer! What a contributor to West Indian musical culture and life. What a character! Thought the best way to pay tribute to a regional immortal-indeed, a global one-is to reflect on some of his contributions, and how they came to mean so much to me and my generation, and others before and after.
My first encounter with the Mighty Sparrow was as a child, with “Maria.” Three decades later, Whoah-wah-whoah-ohhh Maria, and those soaring and cascading reeds can still cause a tingle, the pores to grow. Then came that classic “Dan is the man in the van.” The King of Calypso (and Emperor of Many Musical Genres) went to town on English nursery rhymes, through parody, kaiso poetry, and sheer musical wizardry. Some extracts may explain my excitement. Twirly and twisty were two screws. They are in the Government in Guyana, and not in minor roles. Plus, who mek a cow jump over the moon.
Due to being ahead of his time, and a politically correct practitioner (sez who?), Sparrow was kind enough to leave out the farm in Guyana from which that super cow came. Must be one of those moons that dogs howl at, and which set lunatics to roam free at all levels in a scared country.
When a lullaby was needed, a little romantic mood and interlude, there was that timeless evergreen “Only a fool (breaks his own heart), ” Jeez when the Sparrow met the Dragon the sparks didn’t just fly, they crooned, and made many swoon.
Alongside those hits were Drunk and Disorderly which captures the local rum culture, and the need for insultation of the music rooms of bars. Financing to be provided by a loan from the Guyana Development Bank. This man thought of everything. Question for Guyanese: was the Mighty Sparrow more of a superb calypsonian, or was he a slick politician in disguise? What about Melda: oh you making wedding plan carrying me name to obeah man….”
Maybe that’s why Guyanese politicians were turning up so often in so many churches and other religious houses around the middle of last year. They weren’t taking any chances, covering all the bases. From consulting about election prospects with obeah men in secret to pretending at worshipping God in his Holy Temple. Gosh! I am ordering a copy of Slinger Franciso’s birth certificate. I think that he was more of a Guyanese than a Grenadian. Something got mixed up somewhere. It is uncanny for one man-and a singer at that-to come so close to Guyanese political and cultural reality so frequently.
He was a man for all musical seasons. A romantic in on era (Maria, Mr. Walker, and Only a Fool) and raunchy in the next: Benwood Dick, Congo Man, Village Ram, and Witch Doctor (I understand they have started giving out free PhDs for that practice). Over the decades, the Mighty Sparrow has enthralled endless numbers, excited from aspiring singers to novice composers to anyone who ever felt daring enough to dabble in Karaoke and dancing. He was up there and out there in a space by himself. Miles apart from the competition.
Now after 91 years on the rich green soil of this region, he has gone on an unending singing tour. To that part of heaven specially reserved for men and women who sang their hearts out, and gave of their all to make life a little easier, a tad better, for their fellow journeyers in this earthly pale. In this vale of tears, the Mighty Sparrow did make Guyanese and others in these parts forget their tears and be of good cheer. If only for a moment, it was enough to last a lifetime. Thanks for the good times, Slinger Franciso. Sing one for me up there, Sparrow. I may throw one down the hatch in honor of a magician in action, a majestic passing. Yeah, it’s true: Sparrow dead.
