Slinger Francisco, who performed as the Mighty Sparrow and was dubbed the "calypso king of the world", died on Sunday aged 91. He was surrounded by family in New York, according to a statement from his family.
Francisco achieved his breakthrough in calypso music with his 1956 hit song Jean and Dinah. He went on to become one of the most recognised figures in the genre, which originated in Trinidad and Tobago.
The musician's death marks the end of a career that spanned decades in calypso, a music form rooted in the Caribbean islands. Francisco's stage name, the Mighty Sparrow, became synonymous with the genre's popularity and reach beyond Trinidad and Tobago.