Post #610270 by aquarj on Sat, Oct 15, 2011 12:04 AM

Some people who like tiki stuff like some other things too.

Is there really more to it than that?

It is possible for so-called tiki people at a so-called tiki event to enjoy a band that is tangentially related to tiki, without triggering a redefinition of the essence of tiki.

Although I could do without the overblown venting, I agree with the impulse to protect the essential definition of an artform from the kind of genre creep that can sometimes come from "fusion". But genre creep is mostly a perception problem affecting analytical activity, and has nothing to do with any particular individual enjoying any particular music in any particular setting. In other words, debating over whether the Ding Dong Devils are tiki music really has nothing to do with whether some people who like TIKI STYLE also enjoy Devils shows.

I think for some people, "tiki music" is more like a shorthand for any music that they see as compatible with how they feel when they're in a tiki mood, be it at an event or their home bar or whatever. For other people, it's more of a specific concept tied to an objective artform, or at least one that they like to think about in objective terms. I'm more in the second category myself. Maybe the parameters of the TC "Tiki Music" forum are more like the first category. I don't see the inclusive list of genres for this forum as posing any kind of threat whatsoever to the real essence. In fact, I've never even interpreted it as suggesting a DEFINITION - it's just a guideline for orderly topical discussion.

This may sound ridiculously obvious, but since TC is a forum attracting many people with shared interests, it works well to establish a music forum with an agreed set of genres that can be considered on topic. With some of the discussion here, you'd almost think that hapa haole has been banished to Beyond. But it's not. And many genres are NOT on TC's tiki music list, which is very important for keeping SOME focus here. Even in those cases, people can still talk about Jimmy Buffett in Beyond Tiki if they really want to. And the rest of us don't even have to look at those topics! If the existence of such discussion causes someone like emspace to experience various bodily functions, I would just suggest that it's the kind of thing that doesn't really need to be shared here.

Of course it would be pointless for third parties to assert that bands like the DDDevils, Hula Girls, or whoever, are in it for the money, or to be part of a scene, or any other conjured up reason. However, I did hear that the Ding Dong Devils are in it for the fame and the chicks. I heard it when I said it just now, and now it's on the web so it must be true.

To sum up my feelings, I just want to say that I have fantastic ears.

-Randy