Post #573036 by Kaiwaza on Sun, Jan 23, 2011 1:46 PM

For me, in short, what we call "tiki culture" was inspired by the interest in Hawaii and ALL of the islands in the Pacific, I think, due to World War II (the large number of Americans serving throughout Micronesia, Melanesia, etc), impending Hawaiian statehood, the development of STEREO recording helped as well (I've never heard that mentioned anywhere, but it created alot interest in "ping-pong percussion' "stereo action" and was condusive to strange, exotic recordings).
Of course, people being geographically "unclear" I think it all sort of meshes into one in the mind...Asian elements were added, African & Caribbean elements got in there as well...and the Americans added elements that were really their own and not found anywhere, but all became identified as "tiki"...that far-off mystical, culturally ambiguous island somewhere out in a tropical sea populated by brown-skined people wearing sarongs, ans fezes.