Strut presents a brand new retrospective of one of the Caribbean's most towering musical figures, Mighty Sparrow, covering 1962 to 1974. During a career of over 40 years, Sparrow has been an unmatchable figure in the world of calypso and a constant backdrop to Caribbean life, recording over 300 albums and winning eleven Calypso Monarch and eight Road March titles at the annual Trinidad Carnival during one of the most competitive times in its history.

Scoring his first hit, 'Jean And Dinah', aged 20, Sparrow's style drew on influences from US street harmony quartets to crooners like Nat King Cole, jazz greats -- Ella, Sinatra --- and the early calypso generation including Lord Melody and Lord Kitchener. By the late '50s and in his early 20s, he was already an influential figure, encouraging Trinidad's people to pay taxes with Carnival hit 'P.A.Y.E.' and highlighting cruelty to animals on 'Russian Satellite'.

This new collection hones in on Sparrow's most creative years as he effortlessly surfed musical styles from calypso party jams to hard-hitting boogaloo and soul. He had become a confident political commentator, tackling subjects as varied as domestic economic hardship ('Ah Diggin' Horrors'), slavery ('The Slave') and the Cuban missile crisis ('Kennedy And Kruschev'). Other tracks serve as a vital reference point for today's music. On 'Picong Duel', we hear Sparrow and fellow calypso legend, Lord Melody, trade insults, a direct forerunner to later mic battles in hip hop culture. Elsewhere, Sparrow just plain rocks the party ('Calypso Boogaloo', 'Jook For Jook') and turns in the odd choice cover -- we feature here his lilting version of Otis Redding's 'Try A Little Tenderness' with Byron Lee. The album also documents Sparrow's fearsome live reputation with two firing tracks from a late '60s gig at the Barbados Hilton and excerpts from a '70s concert in Brooklyn featuring Sparrow's dynamite backing band, The Troubadours, at the peak of their game.

This is a long overdue retrospective placing Sparrow in his rightful position as a true Caribbean great, a cultural and social icon on a par with Fela Kuti in Nigeria or Miriam Makeba in South Africa. As journalist Ric Hernandez wrote in 1967, 'It's all there with Sparrow -- wit, wisdom and an earthy irreverence for the established order. He sings life as he sees it, as one long boisterous contact sport.'

The Mighty Sparrow's career spans over 40 years and 70 albums. He continues to redefine the true meaning of Calypso power through his amazing ability--not only to put into words and tempo the exploits of society, but to crown it all with showmanship and appeal. He utilizes his medium not just to entertain, but also to edify, enlighten, and educate.

"The Mount Olympus of Calypso ... It's not just the good Calypso I like. I like the naughty stuff too, you know. My aides didn't understand the lyrics, and they were too dirty for me to translate." -- Colin Powell

"As far as concept and intelligence and warring with words, Mighty Sparrow was and probably still is the king ... his shows are like prize fights and he always comes out on top, all this and a fifteen or twentypiece band just blasting away ... he's fantastic." -- Bob Dylan, as quoted by Cameron Crowe, on the Biograph box set notes

"A legendary singer known as `the master of the naughty phrase.'" -- New York Times

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Slinger Francisco aka The Mighty Sparrow aka Doctor Bird is a living legend and iconic entertainer with over 50 years in the business. Known as the 'King of Calypso' for many, The Mighty Sparrow has defined Calypso and Soca through the years with the coun

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Fueled by his experiences in post-war Port of Spain, Mighty Sparrow’s First Flight reflects a world of bravado and high rhetoric where violence of tongue and hand, the cut and thrust of word and razor, were reduced to a finely-honed skill. Sparrow’s calypsos, spun with an invincible exuberance, intertwine spiritual and social concerns resulting in unflinching social commentary. Incendiary and often scandalous, First Flight shatters popularly held perceptions of calypso as merely "party" music. 20-page booklet with extensive liner notes and photos, 18 tracks, and 76 minutes of music!

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12 TRACKS: 1) Maria 2) No Money, No Love 3) More And More Amour 4) Born Free 5) Sandra 6) Walk Away 7) Peace And Love 8) Only A Fool 9) Theme From Dr. Zhivago 10) More 11) Make The World Go Away 12) Try A Little Tenderness

Calypso King Mighty Sparrow (n+ªe Slinger Francisco) is known for provocative and often bawdy lyrics, at one point describing rival Lord Melody's face as ugly...like a crocodile. Beyond this professional rivalry, Sparrow jokes about politics (I am very sorry for the poor little puppy in the Russian Satellite [Sputnik]) and women (darling, you are the one I love, you are my turtle dove). Three songs from this recording were reissued in 2000 on Calypso Awakening from the Emory Cook Collection (SFW40453): Teresa, Reply to Melody and Paye.

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Genre: Reggae Music
Media Format: Compact Disk
Rating:
Release Date: 25-SEP-2007