Family, friends and admirers of Calypso King of the World, Slinger Francisco, better known as the Mighty Sparrow, have celebrated the man behind the legend at a memorial service in New York.

His daughter, Gina Francisco, reflected on her father’s final years, recalling how the man who once travelled the globe eventually relied on others to carry him, yet never complained.

The service at Linden Seventh-day Adventist Church drew fellow musicians, politicians, diplomats, clerics and supporters from across the Caribbean diaspora.

Francisco said her father treated those around him warmly and deeply valued his family. She joked that, with 14 children, she could not remember all their names. One of his greatest lessons, she said, was humility.

“The greatest thing that I think that he did, because it was a very humbling experience to watch my father being carried. He couldn’t walk. He had to be carried, and he was very uncomplaining.”

She added: “I’ve seen my father change over the years. He was very uncomplaining, and his world became smaller and smaller and smaller. You’re looking at a man who travelled the world, and then he’s kind of limited to where he is, and he never complained.”

Francisco said sharing her father with the world sometimes frustrated her and her siblings, but she eventually came to appreciate his impact on generations of people.

“He taught me how to be at peace with whatever God gives you,” she said.

Among those paying tribute was New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, who described Sparrow as a giant of Caribbean culture whose influence extended far beyond Trinidad and Tobago.

“This is obviously a sad occasion,” Williams said, adding that Sparrow’s death at 91 also provided an opportunity to celebrate a remarkable life.

“I just want to thank the family because I’m honoured to come to speak about a 91-year-old who lived an amazing life.”

He invited mourners to applaud the late calypsonian.

“The Calypso Monarch Emeritus, no one can beat him. What he did for our culture is simply amazing and cannot be overstated.”

Williams recalled that Sparrow’s name was regarded as “royalty” in his household and in countless others across the Caribbean diaspora.

Yves Abel of Haiti’s legendary band Tabou Combo also paid tribute, recalling Sparrow’s support for Caribbean artistes and his commitment to regional unity.

“It is an honour for me to be invited to the celebration of the life of Mr Mighty Sparrow, one of the greatest calypso men in the world,” Abel said.

He recalled that Sparrow had helped the group in its early years by securing performances at major New York venues.

“When we were 22 years old, 19 years old, playing music in Brooklyn, Mighty Sparrow invited us to some of the greatest venues in New York. He took us to Madison Square Garden, he took us to the Lincoln Center, he took us to Carnegie Hall.”

Abel said Sparrow understood that Caribbean people were united by culture despite their linguistic differences.

“Sparrow knew that although we speak different languages based on our colonial backgrounds, we carry one music, and it’s from Africa where we all come from.”

During the service, Brother Don Enoch Mohammed of the Nation of Islam played an audio recording of a conversation between Sparrow and the organisation’s leader, Louis Farrakhan.

In the recording, the two men prayed for each other and exchanged jokes. Farrakhan urged Sparrow to write a song for him, and Sparrow suggested that Farrakhan provide the melody. Farrakhan replied that it would become “the biggest calypso ever”.

“I recall telling my mother that if there is no calypso in heaven, then I don’t want to go,” Farrakhan said in the recording.

Sparrow will be accorded a State-assisted funeral. A date for the ceremony has not yet been announced.

By Eric Elezuo

Temi Nkem, whose real names are Temitope Nkemdirim Chigbue, has emerged winner of the Big Brother Naija reality tevision show contest, season 11, with the tag, Show ya sef.

Temi Nkem beat the duo of Aikou and Sheba, who made the top three finalist list.

The 21-year old Financ and Accounting student, who though of Delta State origin, was born and bred in London, carts away a total of N160 million in both cash and prize gifts.

The season 11 of the BBN show started on July 26, 2026, with 20 housemates. While most housemates were eliminated, one or two were disqualified from the competition while another housemate made a personal decision to discontinue her stay in the house.

During a Twitch livestream on September 20, 2026, Nigerian Afrobeats star Davido revealed that his highest single purchase cost him an astounding $11 million. This surprising admission took place while he engaged with fans alongside streamer Enzo.

Short clips of the livestream quickly gained traction on social media as viewers reacted to the news, especially since Davido did not divulge specifics about the purchase.

While making the comment, Davido remained casual and did not provide any details about what the purchase was, which led to immediate speculation among fans. Some suggested that it could be a luxury property, perhaps a condo in Atlanta, considering the amount.

Others dismissed the idea since none of Davido’s known vehicles come close to that valuation. Fans noted his penchant for luxury cars, but the figures just didn’t add up for a purchase that high.

Throughout the livestream, Davido also showcased music from his recent projects and engaged casually with those watching. Nevertheless, the discussion about his significant purchase became the highlight post-broadcast.

Davido, known for his luxurious lifestyle, currently owns eight luxury vehicles, including three Rolls-Royces, two Lamborghinis, and three Mercedes-Maybachs. He shared that he is now focusing on his $70 million house in Eko Atlantic and is done buying cars for the year.

The exact nature of Davido’s $11 million purchase remains a mystery, keeping fans intrigued.

Read some comments below as compiled by gistlover:

@Quincy1122 Arthur:”How much u tak buy ur jet?  Abi na family jet”

@Delcan:”Davido be capping sometimes and he doesn’t do anything extraordinary apart from showing off he gat money talking about money and crying because of a woman just to stay relevant”

@Dehkardo:”I think say this guy guide before”

@Promise Chinemerem Edwin:”You people should build industries and factory, give back to the society who made you. Create Job opportunities and stop blabbing.”

@Comrade Ayumzi:”Eleven million dollars may sound too huge to be real, but then, it’s Davido. He even beckoned on one of his retinues, should in case. The dude is surrounded with access to liquid, and he himself has huge liquid assets too. A lot of artistes would say this, and I will not believe it for example, your merch is 1.5 million per shirt and other piece, over a hundred k naira for only a cap, and you come online to boast of having a liquid balance of five hundred million naira at the bank? How much is an original Gucci or Versace? But here is someone from an oligarchy family speaking: two uncles a governor, dad owns a power grid, grandpa was a senator, himself a top-rated Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, and more revenue earner. Even though he is braggadocious and didn’t mention what he bought, I believe him maybe it’s a condo in Atlanta. But for a fact, he doesn’t own a Bugatti, and none of his vehicles are worth that much it sounds suspicious.”

@ASSURANCE🪶:”Na lie wetting he do way make them pay him such amount”

@Naija2capeblog:”The way he said $11 million with zero hesitation is the real flex. Not even a smile. Just “this is what I did.” December cannot come fast enough.”