Council Member Joseph Honors Mighty Sparrow
Joseph adds the Haitian community's voice to the farewell for Mighty Sparrow, recalling his 2004 Carnegie Hall performance celebrating Haiti's bicentennial and his role in Caribbean unity.
Today I want to honor a giant.
Dr.
Slinger Francisco Mighty Sparrow, the Calypso King of the world, passed away here in New York on September 27 at the age of 91.
Today I'm adding the voice of the Haitian community to the world's farewell.
For more than seven decades, Sparrow sang the joys he never struggled, the struggles and the truth of the Caribbean people.
And he never forgot that Haiti is where Caribbean freedom began.
In January of 2004, when Haiti marked 200 years of independence, Sparrow took the stage at Carnegie Hall right here in New York City to celebrate the world's first free black republic.
He honored our ancestors, our revolution, and our pride.
He was not Haitian by birth, but he was family.
He saw us, he stood with us, and he reminded the whole Caribbean that we are one people.
To his family and to the people of Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada, our hearts are with you.
From Flatbush to Port-au-Prince, merci Sparrow.
Reposez en paix.
Thank you.
Thank you so much, Councilmember Joseph.
Councilmember Shulman, followed by Councilmember Maloney.