Hot and Sweet

Slinger Francisco, known by his stage name Mighty Sparrow, was once known as “calypso king of the world.” He was the eight-time champion of Trinidad’s yearly Calypso Monarch competition and the most famous man in his country when he was scouted by Van Dyke Parks and whisked away to Miami to record an album of his biggest hits. Hot and Sweet is arguably calypso’s biggest crossover event, an extension of Parks’ fascination with Caribbean music that compelled him to cover greats like Lord Kitchener and Roaring Lion, and to include Sparrow’s original recording on his 1972 album Discover America. Sparrow is given free run of Parks’ luxe studio, opting to perform his repertoire with all references to people and places in Trinidad intact; there are no footnotes for his newfound American audience. It’s the most slick and polished album in Sparrow’s discography and an uncompromised window into the mind of calypso’s finest artist.