Post #234633 by Thomas on Tue, May 30, 2006 12:08 AM

No kidd'n -- truly brilliant Sabina, and one worth returning to, and referring others to from now and then.

The space you describe allows one to enjoy a sense of "worldliness" -- reflecting, perhaps, on one's travels and familiarity with other cultures -- resisting modern culture's tendency to render such things consumerist and status-oriented (as if our adventures on this blue planet were being narrated by the guy who does the voice-overs on the Visa commercials).

Equally as important, though, it is a standing rebuke to the tendency to create hierarchies of knowlege with regard to such things. I went to India at age 20. Upon return, Mom took me to an Indian restaurant to salute my adventure -- and I tut-tutted about how the decor and food were, in various ways, inauthentic. Only later did I realize what an insufferable ass I'd been.

(A friend recently told me of a young lady from his town who went on some trip to Colombia. When she returned, it was "in Colombia this..." and "in Colombia that..." -- and Colombia was pronounced as in Spanish, "CoLOMbia," as though this was the right way to pronounce it (and by implication everyone else was wrong) even when speaking English. It struck me as funny, and I relate it here in order to take the heat off myself after having admitted I'd once been an insufferable ass (long ago!).)

I'd like to think the mix of cultural receptivity and gonzo, "what the ****" attitude of tiki is the perfect antidote to that sort of pomposity. Tiki is not derivative -- it is transcendant!

Some claim that tiki is superficial and inauthentic. They are, as Bogart might have said, "two drinks behind." The fact that it can't be "nailed down" and doesn't adhere "authentically" to one specific locale's culture (as a World Music enthusiast might prefer (and an appreciative shout-out to World Music enthusiasts by the way)) is a strength. It is untethered from the ground. Can you relate? It is a "virtual nation."

I'm on a roll here and could go on, I really could.

Anything goes? Ironically, no. Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead played some pretty wild, "anything goes" guitar. But he always used standard tunings, and, ironically, drew much of his inspiration from old-time Appalachian music. OK, so maybe you find the Grateful Dead unlistenable -- what's the point? It's that tiki's "standard tuning" is the Pacific. Or I should say the "fantasy Pacific." Big difference. But the point is, Caribbean styles and sounds are so beguiling on their own, they deserve their own spheres separate from tiki. Each is great, but they are tuned in different keys, and the idea of having them jam together sounds groovy at first, but then the reality unfolds and people start demurely checking their watches and mumbling about what a busy day they have tomorrow. No, it's really best to just not do it.

By the way, I've got a funny feeling that the next "tiki revival" is going to happen somewhere unexpected, like in China.