Meet Doctor Sparkles...
aka Dr. Kevin Patrick Baiko (aka KPB)
Cabaret singer, street performer, musical puppet, cartoon character, decomposing composer, poetic poster, pakalolo specialist, Jumping Flea Circus ringmaster, all around wise guy, and more… His attitude is tropically infectious, he plays the ukulele and he's really a doctor!
KPB grew up in musical home. His father repaired music instruments out of the garage, conducted a Big Band (The Nomads) in the living room, and his family regularly attended folk music gatherings. KPB learned to play the ukulele at age six but had a talent for making music with whatever was at hand, as well as a gift for harmony & creative vocal characterizations. His first albums Dirt & Divine (1991) and Fool's Gold (2003) reflected his early folk music influences.
The name “Doctor Sparkles” was invented during the recording of Sail Away, his first ukulele centered album because the sound and vibe was such a departure from his earlier work. Its title track was named “Best Cabaret Song” & the album itself was runner-up for “Best Cabaret Album” in the 2006 Just Plain Folks Music Awards. Its positive reception encouraged him to explore creative performance & record two more albums, his swinging Monkey Swing Monkey Doo in 2008 & his politically satirical Scary Country in 2010.
Life brought KPB to Hawaii in 2009, first to the Big Island, where he & his wife Michelle started a medical practice on wheels serving medical cannabis patients from the Hamakua coast to South Point in his Big Island Mobile Clinic. He opened up his main medical office on the island of Kauai in 2010. Out of respect for the culture heritage of Hawaiian music, he dialed back his over-the-top musical persona and listened with reverence. Now after 15 years, he presents his malalo me ke aloha la, Silhouettes of Aloha…
Reviews & Images
"Baiko's alter ego Dr. Sparkles is over the top to say the least, but the music on his debut album is quite eclectic and definitely different than anything else I've ever heard. It's like a trip down to the Caribbean with little messages here and there. The opening of his debut album and title track is like taking Dracula and having him sing a song that would be perfect for the next SpongeBob SquarePants movie. It's soft, soothing and dementedly happy. The rest of the album is just as interesting.
The back of the album has a little description of what Doctor Sparkles is all about. Each song is supposed to be a fantasy. Some have 'pearls of wisdom' while 'others are scattered ideas whose only point is to point out how very silly it is to think it important to make points.' Baiko does both surprisingly effectively."
Tim Wardyn - Music Critic (Oct 1, 2006)