00:00Frank Martino of Spectacular Promotions told TV6 working alongside the mighty Sparrow gave him a close look at the man
00:08behind the legendary performances we all know and love.
00:11He describes Sparrow as the ultimate professional and says his status as the king of Calypso was virtually undisputed.
00:19He has always been the ultimate professional, the ultimate king, the ultimate, I think he was, it was rather undisputed
00:30that he was the king of Calypso and you know we did have wonderful times working with him.
00:36But Martino says behind the larger than life performer was a simple down to earth man who would quietly prepare
00:43himself before taking the stage.
00:45He was a regular guy, he'd take his drink backstage and so on, a few minutes before he'd get on
00:50the stage he'd look for a little quad and then when he hit the stage it's magic.
00:55And that magic was rooted into Sparrow's ability to turn life itself into music.
01:00Martino says there was almost nothing Sparrow could not transform into a song, a quality that has kept his music
01:07relevant across generations.
01:09Anything to sing about, anything that happened in life, Sparrow will give it a try.
01:15There's so many songs that when you hear it on the radio now by Sparrow, you're wondering whether it was
01:21composed yesterday or last year.
01:24You know, everything is so timely, so relevant, you know, and he always had the passion for Calypso.
01:31And as Trinidad and Tobago remembers one of its greatest musical voices, he hopes Sparrow's music will continue to find
01:38new audiences.
01:39I really hope that, you know, the radio station will continue playing his music and some of the younger folks
01:46will sample some of his music and give a fresh feel to it.
01:52You know, I wish they will do that with many of the older Calypso.
01:54The mighty Sparrow's voice may have fallen silent, but his music continues to tell the story of a people, a
02:00culture, and a country.
02:02And for those who knew and worked alongside him, the king of Calypso leaves behind a legacy that will continue
02:08to resonate with generations to come.
02:11Charlotte Kisto, TV6 News.
02:15Charlotte Kisto, TV6 News.
