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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Anselm Gibbs

Calypso icon Slinger Francisco, dubbed 'The Mighty Sparrow,' dies at 91, his family says

Slinger Francisco - (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Calypso music lost one of its most emblematic voices Sunday with the death of Slinger Francisco, who was known on stage as the Mighty Sparrow and dubbed the “Calypso King of the World.” He was 91.

Francisco, who got his breakthrough in calypso music with his 1956 hit song “Jean and Dinah,” died peacefully surrounded by his family in New York, his family said in a statement. His death came after a “brief illness,” the statement said without disclosing any other details.

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