I came across the Mighty Sparrow, also known as the King of Calypso, through Van Dyke Parks; the Sparrow sang the first song on Parks' 1972 album Discover America, "Jack Palance." VDP also produced this album (also in 1972) for the Mighty Sparrow, and recently Parks has re-released it on his very own Bananastan label.
Apparently if there's one calypso album to own, this one is a top recommendation. It's not just straight calypso all the way through, as the styles are more diverse than one label can convey. And there's quite a mythology to this album as well; allegedly it was recorded during the middle of a hurricane. At times the studio was running on a backup generator while recording. VDP worked with those sessions and added his own flourishes, resulting in a really fun listening experience--perfect for being stuck inside until the hurricane blows over.
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