Slinger Francisco, known by his stage name the Mighty Sparrow and celebrated as the "calypso king of the world," died peacefully at the age of 91 in New York on Sunday, surrounded by family following a brief illness. Born in Grenada in 1935, Francisco moved as a toddler to Trinidad and Tobago (the birthplace of calypso music), where he rose to fame with his 1956 hit "Jean and Dinah" and went on to record hundreds of songs across a six-decade career, performing at iconic venues including Madison Square Garden. Described by cultural historians as a "cultural revolutionary," he is widely credited with elevating calypso from a Caribbean art form to a globally recognised musical tradition.