Tiki and Caribbean. Can they be mixed? - General Tiki

B bigbrotiki Tiki Socialite Tiki Island, above the Silverlake Joined: Mar 25, 2002 Posts: 11621	B bigbrotiki Posted posted on Mon, Apr 2, 2007 9:44 AM Great research, very interesting. I was just on one of those ex-Taino islands. Their horrible holocaust sounds akin to what was done to the Easter Islanders. This thread is not questioning the similarity/compatibility of authentic Caribbean with Polynesian culture, but the mixing of their CLICHEE pop culture versions. And there, the palm-fronded, beer-neoned Florida "Tiki" bar clearly IS a sign of Tiki style devolution, a watering down to a generic, tropical theme. Tiki has a specific set of icons, Pirate has its specific set of icons, Nautical has its own catalog of symbols. All these overlap to some degree, but a sea food restaurant with ships wheels, fishnets, star fish, fishing floats and only one or two Oceanic carvings is still a nautical, not a Tiki place. In turn, a Tiki bar without any nautical accents that create the flavor of the Seven Seas lacks in atmosphere. It is here where Tiki style's sub-styles, the Beachcomber style and the Trader style (which all merge in POLYNESIAN POP), come into play. Without them, Tiki style remains academic. Now why is that so hard to understand!? :)

Great research, very interesting. I was just on one of those ex-Taino islands. Their horrible holocaust sounds akin to what was done to the Easter Islanders.

This thread is not questioning the similarity/compatibility of authentic Caribbean with Polynesian culture, but the mixing of their CLICHEE pop culture versions. And there, the palm-fronded, beer-neoned Florida "Tiki" bar clearly IS a sign of Tiki style devolution, a watering down to a generic, tropical theme.

Tiki has a specific set of icons, Pirate has its specific set of icons, Nautical has its own catalog of symbols. All these overlap to some degree, but a sea food restaurant with ships wheels, fishnets, star fish, fishing floats and only one or two Oceanic carvings is still a nautical, not a Tiki place.

In turn, a Tiki bar without any nautical accents that create the flavor of the Seven Seas lacks in atmosphere. It is here where Tiki style's sub-styles, the Beachcomber style and the Trader style (which all merge in POLYNESIAN POP), come into play. Without them, Tiki style remains academic.

Now why is that so hard to understand!? :)

Post #296318 by bigbrotiki on Mon, Apr 2, 2007 9:44 AM