Storytelling in song and chant has preserved many aspects of the culture and lore of the Hawaiian people, and the `aina (land) that is sacred to them.
One of Hawai`i’s greatest storytellers was Clyde ‘Kindy’ Halema’uma’u Sproat (1930.2008). Kindy was dedicated to keeping the music of his native Hawai`i alive ‘ including many songs unique to his North Kohala home. Through his life he developed a repertoire of more than 400 songs that began emerging after the introduction of Western musical instruments and melodies to the islands, most often accompanied by the ukulele and guitar.
Kindy is best known for his rich leo ki`eki`e (falsetto singing), his deep, booming bass voice and the stories he told to give background to the songs that helped preserve the pace of life in Old Hawai`i.
In the early 1990s, a series of falsetto singing contests were named after Kindy and held in various places on the Island of Hawai`i, including The Clyde ‘Kindy’ Sproat Falsetto and Storytelling Contest launched in 1992 at Waikoloa Beach Resort that continued for nearly 20 years. These events helped increase awareness of Hawai`i’s falsetto tradition.
Kindy grew up in Honokane `Iki Valley, the remote third valley beyond Pololu on the north shore of the Island of Hawai`i. His father was part Hawaiian and worked on the Kohala Ditch Trail maintaining the waterways that fed the sugar plantations of the early and middle 20th century. From an early age, Kindy remembered how his Hawaiian mother played the banjo and sang to the children every night after supper.
‘We sat on mats that were woven from the leaves of the pandanus tree and watched the reflection of the sun rising up the east wall of the valley, then dancing on the trees at the very top of the ridge before slowly fading out of sight,’ he recalled in a 1998 interview. ‘I sang my heart out.’
The family later moved to Niuli`i to be closer to schools, churches and parks, where Kindy liked to stop and listen to old timers sing, tell stories and play slack key guitar ‘ masters of the tradition such as John Akina, John Kama and Kalei Kalalia.
‘That sound and rhythm,’ he said in that same interview, ‘haunted me all my growing years, and even until this day I listen for the old sweet rhythm of the old slack key. Like the old-time slack key, the old-time folk songs of Hawai`i have faded into the past. I love the old songs, so I hang onto them and sing them just as I heard them sung.’
Growing up, Kindy also learned to play the four-stringed ukulele and liked the straightforward accompaniment of the slack key guitar for some of his Hawaiian songs, according to close family friend and former state folklorist Lynn J Martin Graton.
Two albums of Kindy’s stories and songs were produced in the mid 1990s. They can be found here
SHARING HIS KNOWLEDGE
After retiring from the military, Sproat often performed at luau, family gatherings, retirement homes, community events, and in concerts. Some of his most recognizable songs are ‘A He Nani Moloka`i,’ ‘Owl’s Lullaby,’ ‘Maid of Honolulu, ‘Pu`uHuluhulu‘ TalkStory,’ Ku`uHoaHololio,’ ‘Maika`i Kamakani o Kohala,’ and ‘Lae Lae(Paniolo Version).’
Local filmmaker Keith Nealy remembers Kindy well.’I first met Uncle Kindy when I heard the call for volunteers to help clear the jungle and build lo’i (a terraced, wetland taro patch system) in the valley of Niuli’i. He was always singing while he worked, and on breaks he would tell stories to all gathered around,’ Nealy recalls. ‘When he performed in front of an audience, his storytelling would entrance them and take them back to another time … and they would be held and wrapped in aloha. It was truly magical.
‘In 1998, Kindy was awarded a National Heritage Fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts— the nation’s highest honor for a traditional artist. As recognition for his extraordinary voice and generosity in sharing his Hawaiian culture, he performed at Carnegie Hall and numerous national festivals.
Kindy was supported throughout his musical journey by his devoted wife, Cheryl ‘Cheri’ Sproat. He passed in 2008 and Cheri in 2024. Kindy gifted his community a rich legacy that will long be remembered.
SPOTLIGHT
SIP, SAVOR AND SHARE
Patina, an inviting new American gastropub in Queens’ Marketplace, opened earlier this year with an impressive menu rooted in regional ingredients inspired by global flavors.
Popular for pau hana (after work) drinks, shared plates or a special occasion, the restaurant offers an approachable yet refned dining experience.
“We provide food that is thoughtfully prepared and technically driven but never takes itself too seriously,” explains owner and Chef Keith Pajinag. “There should always be anelement of fun, creativity and comfort whilemaintaining a high level of quality.”
The menu is divided into three categories: share” for appetizers, “savor” for entrees and sip” for wines and spirits. Think MushroomTartine or Tallow Fries to start, followed by New Zealand King Salmon with Romesco Sauce, FlatIron Steak with Marrow Bordelaise or Jidori Chicken with Tarragon Mushroom Cream Sauce.
“We maintain several staple dishes that have become guest favorites, while introducing new items regularly. The menuevolves throughout the week based onseasonal availability, what our purveyors arebringing in and whatever happens to inspireme creatively at that moment,” says ChefPajinag, who is infuenced by his roots inAlaska and culinary inspiration he’s gatheredthroughout his career in the Pacifc Northwestand Hawai`i.
The restaurant’s interior sets the mood.“I wanted the space to feel layered, warm, and personal,” says Chef Pajinag. “Our bar ismade from a beautiful mango slab sourced inHolualoa, and the shells embedded within thechef’s counter were gathered from Kawaihae.The overall atmosphere was inspired by memorable date nights my wife and I have shared over the years: comfortable, intimate, and effortlessly inviting.”