Edited by Donna Benny, Sparrow Take Over: Essays on the Bard’s Art (StarApple Books) gathers critical essays and testimonial pieces on the legacy of well-known calypsonian Slinger Francisco, also known as the Mighty Sparrow or the Calypso King of the World. Sparrow Take Over includes work by Anu Lakhan, Ira Mathur, Mighty Chalkdust (Hollis Liverpool), Patricia Mohammed, Gordon Rohlehr, and Marina Salandy-Brown, among others.

[Many thanks to the Bocas Book Bulletin—a monthly roundup of Caribbean literary news, curated by the Bocas Lit Fest, and published in the Sunday Express—for bringing this item to our attention. And enthusiastic kudos to Richard Mark Rawlins Design for the spectacular cover.] Michelle Loubon (Trinidad Express) writes:

Connoisseurs of the music and literature of iconic calypsonian the Mighty Sparrow (Slinger Francisco) can now add to their collection Sparrow Take Over: Essays on The Bard’s Art by editor Donna Benny. The book, a compilation of essays, some from the late professor Gordon Rohlehr (an authority on Sparrow’s works) was launched at the National Library on St Vincent Street, Port of Spain, on June 6. It’s a most fitting tribute to Sparrow, who will celebrate his 90th birthday on July 9.

Before former Sparrow was bestowed with the nation’s highest award- the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (ORTT) on June 11, 2014, by then-President Anthony Carmona, he grabbed national headlines when he won the Road March and Calypso King titles in 1956, with the immortal “Jean and Dinah”. [. . .]

[Donna] Benny also made reference to historian and nine-time calypso monarch Mighty Chalkdust (Dr Hollis Liverpool) who said: “Some people have skills in composition, some people have skills to dance, some people have good, beautiful voices, some people have skills in dress like Duke, but of all the gifts in music in calypso, I tell people, God has given the most to Sparrow. For in every area – whether it be commentary, whether it be politics, haunting melodies, whether it be smut, Sparrow emerges on the top, so God has given him the most.”

She also said: “It’s a book for lovers of calypso, for lovers and haters, yes, there are some, and for lovers of good writing and photography. It may well be the story of Trinidad and Tobago at that time. I trust that you, the reader, will partake in sharing the story. As you journey through these pages, I invite you to recognise you are not simply reading about a legendary performer. You are engaging with a story of a nation coming into its own, told through the observations of one its most perceptive witnesses. The Mighty Sparrow has chronicled the drama of our nation’s growth.” Benny also said her late parents Marie and Bobby Benny had delighted in Sparrow’s craftmanship. She thanked people who had worked assiduously on the project including coordinator Miriam Jacobs, editorial assistant MB Reyes, proofreader Cynthia Carrington and book designer Richard Mark Rawlins. [. . .]

For more information, see https://trinidadexpress.com/features/local/essays-on-the-bard/article_3f8507c6-1498-4d4c-bb8f-0f5aa28fe505.html

Also see https://starapplebooks.com/, https://theblueedition.com/product/sparrow-take-over-essays-on-the-bards-art/#ture and https://trinidadexpress.com/features/local/essays-on-the-bard/article_3f8507c6-1498-4d4c-bb8f-0f5aa28fe505.html