Post #805798 by The Mayor Of Exotica on Wed, Sep 28, 2022 4:38 PM

Well, it has finally happened. The Tiki revival has grown to a size where there exists a whole spectrum of opinions about what it is. This is not to say that the opinions out there are all equally informed, or based on good taste. As with all of my favorite kinds of music, there is a point of origin, in which the visionaries who started a certain movement within music launched something truly remarkable. As time goes on, other people latch on and try to contribute. Some of those contributions advance the music, propelling it to greater heights. Many are, at best, lazy imitations, devoid of any of the original spark, and missing the point entirely.

This is both a good thing and a bad thing. The good thing is that at least we know Tiki is here to stay, in one form or another. Of course, the bad thing is encountering some visions of Tiki that are at best embarrassing, or even downright insulting. All that means to me is that my own vision of what is good and bad is advanced enough to know the difference. And almost all of my friends have some form of the good in their homes. Mine only consists of my bar, my tiki mugs, a decent if modest rum collection, and the best Exotica I can find. That keeps me happy.

If the Aloha spirit is there, that's the bottom line. And I agree wholeheartedly that Tiki is about escapism, and creating or enjoying a bit of paradise, free from just about anything else. Surely, if we can't agree on much of anything else, we can at least agree to leave that behind and enjoy a fantastic cocktail, in an aloha shirt, in someone's vision of a Tiki paradise, bathed in some great Exotica.