"Mighty Sparrow" continues to improve

NEW YORK, United States (CMC) – The Calypso King of the World, Slinger Francisco, popularly known as the Mighty Sparrow, continues to get better, as he convalesces in a rehabilitation facility here.

According to the Brooklyn-based Trinidad and Tobago Weekly, Sparrow took a break from therapy over the Christmas holiday, at the High Land Health Care Center in Queens, New York, and “spoke for a long time and even sang”.Sparrow has been hospitalised for the past three months after going into a coma on September 22.“Tell my fans and the people of T&T they better watch out because Sparrow is coming to town,” Trinidad and Tobago Weekly quoted him as saying. “And I’m coming out dancing, people think it will be Santa; but, when they look closely, they will see it is Sparrow,” he added.“They love my singing,” continued Sparrow about the nurses and doctors at the rehabilitation centre. He thanked God for sparing his life, adding that, when he was in a coma, “many people didn’t think I’d be here right now”.He said he is “making steady progress and coming along quite well”.“The expenses for my treatment have been exorbitant, but people have begun calling for me to perform at shows before and after Carnival in different parts of the States,” Sparrow said. The “Mighty Sparrow”, 78, has been performing for more than four decades and has been having health challenges for the past three years.These include undergoing surgery in 2010 to treat a right inguinal hernia that had caused him to cut short performances in Trinidad and Tobago and in the United States because of excruciating pain while on stage.

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"Mighty Sparrow" continues to improve

"Mighty Sparrow" continues to improve

NEW YORK, United States (CMC) – The Calypso King of the World, Slinger Francisco, popularly known as the Mighty Sparrow, continues to get better, as he convalesces in a rehabilitation facility here.

According to the Brooklyn-based Trinidad and Tobago Weekly, Sparrow took a break from therapy over the Christmas holiday, at the High Land Health Care Center in Queens, New York, and “spoke for a long time and even sang”.Sparrow has been hospitalised for the past three months after going into a coma on September 22.“Tell my fans and the people of T&T they better watch out because Sparrow is coming to town,” Trinidad and Tobago Weekly quoted him as saying. “And I’m coming out dancing, people think it will be Santa; but, when they look closely, they will see it is Sparrow,” he added.“They love my singing,” continued Sparrow about the nurses and doctors at the rehabilitation centre. He thanked God for sparing his life, adding that, when he was in a coma, “many people didn’t think I’d be here right now”.He said he is “making steady progress and coming along quite well”.“The expenses for my treatment have been exorbitant, but people have begun calling for me to perform at shows before and after Carnival in different parts of the States,” Sparrow said. The “Mighty Sparrow”, 78, has been performing for more than four decades and has been having health challenges for the past three years.These include undergoing surgery in 2010 to treat a right inguinal hernia that had caused him to cut short performances in Trinidad and Tobago and in the United States because of excruciating pain while on stage.Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

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"Mighty Sparrow" continues to improve

False reports of Mighty Sparrow"s death

Entertainment

Thursday, September 12, 2013 | 1:46 PM

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Several reports are being circulated via social media that Calypso legend The Mighty Sparrow is dead, however the Trinidad Express and Trinidad and Tobago’s Consulate General in New York have reported that the singer is alive and showing signs of improvement. Trinidad Express reported that Mighty Sparrow’s son, Anthony Francisco, told them his father was improving slowly and also urged them to wait to hear of any changes from Sparrow’s children or his wife before making an announcement.According to the T&T Consulate General, Francisco reported to them at 8:37 am today (Thursday) that his father “is resting comfortably, and he’s alive and well”. Francisco also thanked the public for their prayers. The Express also reported that according to his wife Margaret Francisco, Sparrow started coughing yesterday.Sparrow, whose given name is Slinger Francisco, is reported to be in a New York hospital.

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False reports of Mighty Sparrow"s death

False reports of Mighty Sparrow"s death

Latest News

Thursday, September 12, 2013 | 1:46 PM

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Several reports are being circulated via social media that Calypso legend The Mighty Sparrow is dead, however the Trinidad Express and Trinidad and Tobago’s Consulate General in New York have reported that the singer is alive and showing signs of improvement. Trinidad Express reported that Mighty Sparrow’s son, Anthony Francisco, told them his father was improving slowly and also urged them to wait to hear of any changes from Sparrow’s children or his wife before making an announcement.According to the T&T Consulate General, Francisco reported to them at 8:37 am today (Thursday) that his father “is resting comfortably, and he’s alive and well”. Francisco also thanked the public for their prayers. The Express also reported that according to his wife Margaret Francisco, Sparrow started coughing yesterday.Sparrow, whose given name is Slinger Francisco, is reported to be in a New York hospital.Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

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False reports of Mighty Sparrow"s death

Mighty sparrow in coma

Entertainment

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

CALYPSO legend The Mighty Sparrow is in a coma in a New York hospital, the Trinidad Express newspaper reports.According to The Express, Sparrow (given name Slinger Francisco) was scheduled to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award last Thursday from the Trinidad and Tobago Consulate in New York City.He did not attend the ceremony. His son, Richard Francisco, accepted the award on his behalf and read a message from his father stating that he was unable to attend the function.The Express quoted a source as saying Sparrow was “depressed” recently. Calls to Sparrow’s home and mobile phones in New York went unanswered, the newspaper reported. So, did calls to his home in Trinidad, where his wife, Margaret Francisco, spends much of her time. The Grenada-born Sparrow is rated along with Lord Kitchener as Trinidad and Tobago’s greatest calypsonians.His career started in the 1950s when he first competed in the country’s Carnival events.He has a strong Jamaican connection, first performing here in the early 1960s. Sparrow was a close friend of Jamaican bandleader Byron Lee, performing regularly on the latter’s Jamaica Carnival.The two collaborated on the 1975 album, Again!, which contained the hit songs Dragon Dance and Obeah Wedding.In August 2001, Sparrow received a Jamaica Independence Award during the country’s independence celebrations.

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Mighty sparrow in coma

Surf’s up for Mighty Crown

CECELIA CAMPBELL-LIVINGSTON Observer staff reporter livingstonc@jamaicaobserver.com

JAPANESE sound system Mighty Crown has teamed up with Hawaiian singer J Boog to record Surfer’s Anthem, which revisits the classic reggae instrumental Double Barrel.Sami T, chief selector with the Mighty Crown, spoke to the Sunday Observer about the song, which has enjoyed steady rotation at their dances as well as in Europe and Asia.“It was recorded in January in Hawaii and mixed in Jamaica. Double Barrel is one of the ‘riddims’ that I always wanted to remake,” said Sami T.Done by Dave Barker and Ansel Collins, Double Barrel made the British national chart in 1972.J Boog is part of a massive reggae movement in Hawaii and the Pacific Rim. In February, he performed alongside Damian ‘Junior Gong’ Marley and others in a Bob Marley tribute at the Grammy Awards.The Mighty Crown is currently on its Driving Force Tour which started in March. They will play in 50 cities on three continents; today, they are scheduled to ‘string up’ for their Reggae SAI concert in Kawasaki.In addition to Sami T (real name Samuel Tse), the Mighty Crown’s selection team comprises Rohan Henry (Ninja), Koji Ishii (Koji) and Simon Tse (Masta Simon).According to Sami T, being on the European circuit has taught he and his colleagues not to be predictable.He warns that a “top 10″ playlist is dangerous, especially for Jamaican ‘sounds’ playing outside of Jamaica.“Them run go play the top ten songs them and can’t dig out a forward without those songs,” said Sami T in his best patois.The J Boog collaboration marks a new phase for the Mighty Crown, that of music production. They have produced reggae and dancehall songs by leading Japanese artistes such as Fireball and Guan Chai for their Lifestyle label.Founded in 1991 by friends from the city of Yokohama, Mighty Crown built their impressive resume by playing in clubs and selling self-produced mix tapes throughout Japan.In 1994, they started ‘clashing’ with other Japanese sound systems and became the country’s undisputed sound clash champion in 1998.The following year, on their debut appearance in World Clash, they defeated ‘sounds’ from Jamaica and the United States to become the first Japanese sound system to lift the World Clash Trophy.Members of the Japanese sound system Mighty Crown.

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Surf’s up for Mighty Crown