Dr. Suzanne Straker Greenidge-Hewitt, the daughter of the late, Vincentian-born Granville Leonard Straker, considered the “Godfather of Soca Music,” says the passing of the legendary Calypso King of the World, the Mighty Sparrow, on Sunday, Sept. 27, exactly one month after her father’s death, has brought another important part of Straker’s musical legacy back to the surface for her family.
“The Mighty Sparrow was not simply an artist whose music my father admired; Straker’s Records was part of Sparrow’s recorded history,” Dr. Straker Greenidge-Hewitt, a physician and director of Granville Straker Legacy Project, told Caribbean Life on Monday, Sept. 28.
She said that, in 1970, the Brooklyn-based Straker’s Records released “The Best of The Mighty Sparrow — Live at The Blue Coronet in Brooklyn,” followed by additional Sparrow 45s on the Straker’s label in the early 1970s.
The Mighty Sparrow receives the Carlos Lezama Lifetime Achievement Award.Nelson A. King
“There was also a personal relationship,” Dr. Straker Greenidge-Hewitt said. “Sparrow was a friend of our family, and I remember my father affectionately referring to him as ‘Birdie.’”
“The timing of their passing feels especially poignant to us — daddy on Aug. 27 and Sparrow exactly one month later on Sept. 27,” she added. “As I continue going through my father’s catalog, recordings, photographs and memorabilia, I keep discovering just how extensive his contribution to Caribbean music really was.
“These records are more than vinyl to our family; they are pieces of Caribbean music history and evidence of the relationships, friendships and cultural work that helped carry this music from the islands to Brooklyn and throughout the Diaspora,” Dr. Straker Greenidge-Hewitt continued. “For me, the more I uncover, the more amazed I become at what my father accomplished. Sparrow was only one chapter of that story.
“I can only imagine daddy and ‘Birdie’ together again, making music in heaven,” she said.
The Straker family said that, over about three decades, Straker’s record label released an estimated 600 to 700 albums, more than 1,000 12-inch records and several thousand singles.
The family said the roster included generations of celebrated artists such the Mighty Sparrow, Calypso Rose, The Mighty Shadow, Black Stalin, Chalkdust, Lord Nelson, Lord Melody, the Mighty Duke, Explainer, Winston Soso, Singing Francine, and Machel Montano.
After a brief illness, the Mighty Sparrow died “peacefully” in Queens on Sunday at 91, his family said in a statement.
The family said that Sparrow — the Grenadian-born and Trinidad and Tobago iconic calypso ambassador, whose real name was Slinger Francisco — was surrounded by loved ones at his passing.
On Sept. 20, popular Brooklyn pastor Louis Straker, Jr., lead pastor of Reflections Church on Utica Avenue in Brooklyn, eulogized his cousin, Granville Straker, who died at 86.
The life of Vincentian-born Granville Leonard Straker, pioneering founder of Straker’s Records and champion of calypso and Soca music, was celebrated at St. Teresa of Avila Church Hall, 563 Sterling Pl., Brooklyn.
Granville Straker and his wife of 24 years, Beverly Straker.Nelson A. King
“It truly is an honor to stand before you today as we celebrate the life of our dearly beloved and Caribbean music icon and legend Granville Leonard Straker,” said Pastor Straker, who also presided over the two-hour-plus-long service, dubbing his eulogy “Straker’s Record.” “Often times, it’s hard to see, particularly when coming from humble beginnings, the greatness that will eventually flow out of you as God often won’t reveal it until the appropriate time.
“If we had the opportunity to ask Granville here today, ‘When you were a little boy, did you know you would one day called ‘The Godfather of Soca Music?’ Did you know that you would one day become the founder and Chief Executive Officer of a Caribbean music empire that worked with, and catapulted the legendary careers of Chalkdust, The Mighty Shadow, The Black Stalin, Calypso Rose, Winston Soso, Poser, Scorcher, Singing Francine, Duke, King Wellington, and Lord Shorty?” asked the son of former St. Vincent and the Grenadines Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Sir Louis Straker, who was also among mourners.
“Did you know your work would impact both the Calypso King of the World — The Mighty Sparrow, and the Soca King of the World — The one and only, Machel Montano?” Pastor Straker added. “Did you know that your work would highlight the ‘Bass Man’ and give life to the “Woman on the Bass? Did you know you would work with the Quincy Jones of Soca music, Frankie McIntosh, and produce hundreds of records, exposing the world to the rich sounds of our Caribbean music?
“I’m sure the answer would have been a resounding ‘No’, as sometimes the greatness inside of us is hidden while we are being developed in obscure places,” Pastor Straker continued.
He said Granville Straker came to America in 1959, continued working as a mechanic, and it “would only be a matter of time before what was formulating on the inside would eventually lead to a Caribbean music enterprise on the outside.
“And that beloved is sometimes how God works in producing His plan and purpose for our lives,” Pastor Straker said. “Thus, today, the world remembers Granville Straker for the records he made. But I want you to know that heaven remembers him for the record that he kept.
Pastor Louis Straker, Jr. gives a eulogy.Nelson A. King
“While the world counts gold and platinum record sales, the God of the universe counts faithful servants. While the world measures popularity and fame, it is God who measures stewardship,” he added. “I need you to understand, The Master didn’t give Granville Straker music so he could become famous. He gave Granville Straker influence so Caribbean music could become known to the world.
“His record shows that cousin Granville helped make Caribbean music known to the world by building a bridge. He connected St. Vincent, Brooklyn, Trinidad, America, the Caribbean, the Diaspora, artists, audiences, studios, record stores, concert halls, you name it!” Pastor Straker continued. “He was constantly building bridges. And my bible reminds me in Isaiah 58:12 that God loves bridge builders.”
On Sept. 19, Caribbean leaders paid tribute to the Mighty Sparrow.
“Today, our nation mourns the loss of an icon whose legacy will forever live in the hearts of all citizens of Trinidad and Tobago,” said Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar in a statement. “Sparrow was a true patriot and revered ambassador of Trinidad and Tobago’s culture.
“Through his music, his wit, and his unmatched contribution to culture, he carried the spirit and stories of our people across the world,” she added. “For decades, Sparrow has been part of the soundtrack of Trinidad and Tobago. His music made us laugh, made us think, and made us proud of who we are.
“On behalf of the Government and people of Trinidad and Tobago, I extend my deepest condolences to his family and loved ones,” Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar continued.
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley said that, “for 70 years, the Mighty Sparrow has been woven into our Caribbean civilization.
“Listen to his recordings and you hear our history,” she said. “Calypso gave the ordinary West Indian a voice. Sparrow carried it to the world with incomparable genius.
“Born in Grenada and raised in Trinidad, he belonged to all of us,” Mottley added. “Just months after losing our beloved Sir Garry, whose greatness Sparrow celebrated in song, we must now say goodbye to him too – two extraordinary sons who made this Caribbean stand taller.
“To his family and the people of Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados stands with you in sorrow and gratitude,” she continued. “Let our children hear him. Let them know that this brilliance came from among us.
“Even now, his words still echo: ‘Sparrow take over now,’” Mottley said. “You did, Birdie. You took your place in the heart of a civilization, and there you will remain. Rest in peace, Mighty Sparrow. Your voice will live on forever.”
St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Godwin Friday said that “the Caribbean has lost an unmistakable voice.
“For generations, the music of the Mighty Sparrow formed part of the soundtrack of Caribbean life,” he said. “His calypso made us laugh, think, question and, at times, confront ourselves.
“Slinger Francisco’s contribution to calypso and to the cultural identity of our region is immeasurable,” Dr. Friday added. “His music will remain with us, and, so too, will the influence he has had on generations of Caribbean entertainers.
“On behalf of the Government and people of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, I extend sincere condolences to his family and loved ones, and to the people of Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago, who mourn one of the Caribbean’s most treasured cultural icons,” the Vincentian prime minister said.