Music Profile: Erroll Kinistino

Music is very powerful. The songs Erroll Kinistino’s mother sang to him from before he was even brought into this world remain in his heart even as he passes them on now to his grandchildren. Other than his mother’s lullabies, the first live music Errol heard was at amateur night’s held at the school on Ochapowace First Nation.  A couple times a year the community and those surrounding would load into horse-drawn sleds or wagons, or if they were lucky, a Ford Model A jalopy and pack in to hear some talent. Even then he could see how music brought the people together.

People would throw 25 cents in a jar with a note requesting songs or performances. The M.C. would invite guitar players and vocalists to the stage and the crowd would cheer them on. The money in the jar was saved for goody bags for the kids at Christmas. Errol was still small enough to ride on his Uncle’s boot as he stomped along and played rhythm guitar.

The fiddle and a guitar duos played songs like ‘Orange Blossom Special’ or Errol’s favourite ‘Rubber Dolly’  and would have everyone dancing. They’d laugh as people sang out in Cree words to the heel-toe polka and with enough ribbing, his Kokhum would even do her crow impression that always left them howling.

There was always a note in the jar for PG and Sam Gunn, brothers from Cowessess. People loved hearing them play songs by The Ventures or Chet Atkins. When young Errol heard ‘The Music from Peter Gunn’ on their battery powered radio, he assumed it was those Cowessess boys on the airwaves, not the work of composer Henry Mancini.

Erroll’s uncle Jack was a war veteran who returned from some time stationed in Germany. With vinyl records in tow while his dad cleaned the school, they’d borrow the electricity to hear Johnny Cash’s ‘Bitter Tears’ album, listening to ‘The Ballad of Ira Hayes’ over and over again.

Erroll had been singing with his mother his whole life and she was also his first guitar teacher. She taught him to play a single note C and G when his hands were too small to make the chords. In 1970 while attending the Standing Buffalo Pow Wow, he heard a band playing from across the water at Echo Beach. Drawn to the music, he made his way to the stage and was surprised to see an all Aboriginal band from the Pasqua area called ‘Native Sons’ playing the latest hits by CCR and Steppenwolf. His love of music solidified.

Erroll has spent a good part of his life since on the stage. Whether acting, singing, strumming along or telling stories, he’s been a constant contributor to the arts and a blessing to all that know him. His own song catalogue ever growing, a favorite is ‘Kohkum’s Cadillac’ written for his mother. He was able to sing it for her several times in the 4 years before she died and it was always special, the gift of music coming full circle and rippling forever.

– Shane Bellegarde