Visually impaired calypsonian Almanac passed away at around 9 p.m. on Friday succumbing to liver cancer while at Ward 24 at the Port of Spain General Hospital.

Born Anthony Francis in St Lucia on August 20, 1942, Almanac migrated to Trinidad as a child and when he was 14 years old lost his sight due to Glaucoma. He began composing and singing calypso two years later while attending the School for the Blind at Santa Cruz.

Almanac began his professional calypso career in 1962 as a member of the Independence Brigade Calypso Tent alongside the likes of Pretender, Spitfire, Young Killer and Lord Brynner. From that tent he went on to perform with Sparrow’s Young Brigade, Stalin’s Calypso Court, Kitchener’s Calypso Revue, Kaiso House and Klassic Ruso among others.

During his career Almanac has composed as many as 400 calypsoes and taught the art form to many young people. He attended nearly every calypso show that took place and was considered to be a godfather to many senior calypsonians that looked to him for advice and critique on their works. Almanac was not married nor did he have any children. The Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation is taking care of funeral arrangements.

Almanac’s calypso portfolio includes ’Almanac’s Dream’, ’Wabeen Government’, ’Keep Your Business to Yourself,’ ’Leather Haunting,’ ’Grandfather’s Advice,’ ’The Buy Local Argument,’ ’False Prophets,’ ’Save the Family,’ ’If It was Me,’ ’Build A Better World’ and ’Sweet Exotic Soca.’