Post #696663 by tiki mick on Fri, Oct 18, 2013 12:50 PM

I think there is really too much emphasis on irony and kitsche in this scene. The original purveyors of tiki did not see things the same way most tiki-ites do today. The fact that the stuff was in-authentic had less to do with irony and more to do with being naive.In those days, Martin Denny and les baxter really thought they were making world music....and those tiki restaurants serving cantonese style american food really probably thought they were serving authentic island cuisine....I mean, serve POI? Most people can't stand it!

Same goes for the music these days. Turns out, most people actually dislike hawaiian music. Also, less people probably really like Les baxter then would admit. I for one, listen to the albums over and over, but for many others, the albums are only used for wall decorations.

I find the same disconnect with the neo lounge/swing scene of the 90s. I was watching "swingers" the other day, and was reflecting on those scenes with Big Bad Voodoo daddy playing "swing" music in the back ground....good band, don't get me wrong, but they rely heavily on the crime jazz hype, and the imagery of swing, all the while ignoring what made real big band music of the 40's great.

I get that tiki farm makes stuff for other businesses other then tiki bars...and I love what they do. I looked at some of those mugs that WD posted, and think they are really creative and well done...heck, I sure could not design and make one....but are they tiki?

10-15 years from now, when the average lay person thinks about tiki mugs, it will be skulls and hot rod figurines and other low-brow stuff that will be the main representation.

Can't really blame tiki farm for any of this. Production follows demand. If more people were into real, pure tiki, they would focus on that. I can't really blame them, since they are providing what people want.

I do love the latest Trader Sam's lava mug....did TF make those?

[ Edited by: lucas vigor 2013-10-18 13:03 ]