Tiki and Caribbean. Can they be mixed?

We had some friends over last weekend for cocktails and one of them asked, “Isn’t Tiki the same as Caribbean?” Not being into Tiki as much as I am, they thought the Tiki Bar could also be mixed with Caribbean décor or be one in the same. I said the two couldn’t be mixed since they are from different geographical areas but then again, I’m no expert. After thinking about it for a while, I knew where to ask this question, on the Tiki Central, so here it is:
Can Tiki be mixed with Caribbean or will this cause the Gods to be angered?

This has been hotly debated here.

I'd boil it down to this: the purists will say "no way", pirates and parrots are cool, but they're not Tiki. As you point out, Tiki is POLYNESIAN Pop, Not "Atlantic or Carribean Pop".

But there is another argument that says, since Tiki is a mutt of many things anyway, and is also just for fun anyway, is it a capital crime to have a parrot in your Tiki bar?

And of course, those people have a point, too.

My advice is to attempt to be a purist - but not a SNOB - whenever possible.
Stick to the Polynesian, but relax and don't be a weenie about it.

It already is a blend, as far as the drinks are concerned: Where would we be without the rum? Don & Vic saw to that.

I've said it before as well as a lot of others here is; As long as you're having fun!

While I don't have any Carribbean stuff amongst my tiki music and paraphanila, I myseft don't see a problem with mixing them up. I mean, much of "oriental" and Indonesian type items associated with tiki certainly aren't Polynesian, but absolutely mix in. To me, the idea behind "tiki" has never been authenticity (Martin Denny authentically Hawaiian music?..plu-leaze), but is more of a tongue-in-check romance with "distant, exotic lands", whether they be Easter Island, Krakatoa, Mauritius, Barbados, or Santa Catalina..the geographic confussion is part of the charm to me.
I remember the Miss Universe Pageant used to introduce the contestants in geographic groups and they had a category called "The Islands"..which included everyone from Miss Tahiti to Miss Bahamas..they even threw in Miss Belize, which was quite interesting..hehe.

It's funny this should come up now. I've recently decorated my new living room in "tiki" And I found a great Old Airline poster "reissue" with a Sea Plane and Cuba written on it. I put it up but had some reservations. I've decided to call my decorative style Equatorial/Tiki and figure, if there's palm trees there, I dig it.

i figured that when i start to build my bar, the self-imposed rule would be that if it could float to the pacific islands and make it as flotsam/jetsam, it could be hung up in the bar :) as far as parrots go, one almost made it from peru to raroia on the kon-tiki. i think there was a fake parrot in the honolulu, so i would feel comfortable putting one in my bar.

Well said Kaiwaza. To each his own interpretation of what is "TIKI" I always say (actually that's the first time I've said that). To me tiki is the bastard child of polynesia, the orient, the caribbean, tropical islands, pirates, Huntington Beach, and my imagination. That's what makes admiring other peoples tiki bars so much fun, looking at the array of "tiki-ish" junk they got hangin' all over the place. How boring it would be if we all had the same 'ol crap behind our bars(although there are some "must haves"). As far as I'm concerned, anything that washes up on the beach and looks cool...is TIKI.

[ Edited by: Tikitortured on 2005-02-05 13:38 ]

On 2005-02-05 13:31, tikitortured wrote:
As far as I'm concerned, anything that washes up on the beach and looks cool...is TIKI.

You got that right! I've been decorating my Tiki Bar with oil coated seagulls and used syringes.

On 2005-02-05 14:09, Hakalugi wrote:

On 2005-02-05 13:31, tikitortured wrote:
As far as I'm concerned, anything that washes up on the beach and looks cool...is TIKI.

You got that right! I've been decorating my Tiki Bar with oil coated seagulls and used syringes.

oddly i bet you could open a bar with that theme and get a good turnout :)

Well, if you've got a poster up in your Tiki bar of a rasta smoking a huge spliff, you've gone waaaaaaaayyy too far in the wrong direction.

Trader Woody

Hakalugi, that's some funny $#!+ right there.
Trader Woody, you're right, one has to use a bit of decorum.

Well can we take this a little farther? What about TiKi and nautical? How do they go together? I know that Oceanic has a nautical section as well as Tiki. I have some Caribbean but mostly Pacific in my Tiki hut but lots of nautical and I always wondered how they came to be attached but not really spoken of.

On 2005-02-05 10:02, tikibars wrote:
...is it a capital crime to have a parrot in your Tiki bar?

I hope not, my Parrot named Mochi loves my tiki room...tons of stuff for her to chew on.

TBird & Mochzilla.

[ Edited by: Tiki Bird on 2005-02-05 19:11 ]

I used to try and mix tiki and other tropical type themes but the tiki collection is getting big enough that its taken over and pushed the other stuff into the closet.

I think perhaps we confuse the terms "Tiki" and "Polynesian" or "South Pacific." The way I see it (and I suppose most of TC), Tiki means inspired by the style of the classic American tiki bars of the 40s through the 70s. So if those bars used some Caribbean elements (rum, Voodoo, Zombies) then so can modern tiki. Same with nautical. Fish nets, glass floats, ship's steering wheel are OK; maine lobsters and pirates are not. Modern tiki style has also officially adopted Exotica so that brings some Amazon jungle, witch doctor, unga bunga, ubangi and god knows what else styles into the mix. Tiki Bob, where the heck did that design come from?

Actually do whatever you like. As your collection gets bigger those pieces that don't quite fit will get pushed to the side to make way for the pieces that make your place look more and more like Trader Vics or the Kahiki or the Mai Kai.

But then there's the Hot Rod tiki style and the surf tiki style and the Shag tiki style and...ahhh...your tiki style. Whatever you do its better than plastering your home with owls.

[ Edited by: Kono on 2005-02-05 19:25 ]

As I coincidentally just pointed out in another topic forum, Tiki Bob is a copy of a FANG mask. the Fang people are from the Cameroon area I believe.Sure, he looks like a weird googie 60's caricature, but he actually has tribal provenance!

Heres a little more info:

'Fang tribes people migrated from the north west during the 18th and 19th century and are today scattered across the Cameroon, equatorial Guinea and Gabon. They are principally hunters, but also farm. Fang social structure is based on the clan, a group of individuals with a common ancestor, and on the family. First reports of the Fang appeared in about 1851 where the Fang were described as aggressive man-eating savages who consumed their dead, and hunted elephant with poisoned arrows. They were very superstitious and each death required an attendant ordeal. Sanctuaries in the villages were surmounted with monkey skulls and each clan and family head kept a cylindrical box of tree bark which contained the skulls of the ancestors. Heads or full length statues were placed on top of these boxes and were bound up with lianas. Fang use masks for their secret society ceremonies. Their Masks are characterised by elongated features and a heart-shaped face and were thought to have judiciary powers and so were worn when sentences were handed down by the society. Ngil masks were outlawed in 1910 by French colonials following a series of ritual murders and consequently are rarely found.'

So there you go. Now stop dissin' my man Tiki Bob!

On 2005-02-05 20:54, tikifish wrote:
As I coincidentally just pointed out in another topic forum, Tiki Bob is a copy of a FANG mask. the Fang people are from the Cameroon area I believe.Sure, he looks like a weird googie 60's caricature, but he actually has tribal provenance!

That's cool to know. Cameroon's in Jersey right?? :wink:

Fang. Fang. Anything having anything to do with anything called FANG is tiki in my book.

Fangs are tiki.

On 2005-02-05 20:54, tikifish wrote:

Heres a little more info:

'Fang tribes people migrated from the north west during the 18th and 19th century and are today scattered across the Cameroon, equatorial Guinea and Gabon. They are principally hunters, but also farm. Fang social structure is based on the clan, a group of individuals with a common ancestor, and on the family. First reports of the Fang appeared in about 1851 where the Fang were described as aggressive man-eating savages who consumed their dead, and hunted elephant with poisoned arrows. They were very superstitious and each death required an attendant ordeal. Sanctuaries in the villages were surmounted with monkey skulls and each clan and family head kept a cylindrical box of tree bark which contained the skulls of the ancestors. Heads or full length statues were placed on top of these boxes and were bound up with lianas. Fang use masks for their secret society ceremonies. Their Masks are characterised by elongated features and a heart-shaped face and were thought to have judiciary powers and so were worn when sentences were handed down by the society. Ngil masks were outlawed in 1910 by French colonials following a series of ritual murders and consequently are rarely found.'

So there you go. Now stop dissin' my man Tiki Bob!

No diss intended. I was just curious. I am very glad to know that Tiki Bob is a part of the previously unknown uber-cool Fang culture. I must learn more about the Fang and how we can integrate them (Tiki Bob withstanding) into the modern tiki culture!

Thanks for the provenance Tikifishfanglady

SIGH.

https://tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=12967&forum=2&6

As I said before, it is all a matter of balance. Polynesiana and Tikis should dominate, all other nautical/tropical/primitivo jetsam and flotsam should be merely ACCENTS to round of the mood.

Given the fact that Carribean/Jimmy Buffet (there, I said it!) style contributed to the downfall of 50s/60s Tki style, one should be especially carefull with that influence. The questioner that inspired this thread (not TTT, his friend) obviously comes from that popular notion of generic Tropicana, still in evidence in Florida.

The Tiki evolution chart in the BOT makes it pretty clear: The Tiki as the FIGUREHEAD/logo
of tropical escapism was only in use for a brief time from the mid 50s to the late 60s, and that period defines Tiki style.

What we have here today is RETRO Tiki style, in some cases an excellent reproduction of vintage Tiki style, in some not.

Depends on your taste and your eye.

On 2005-02-05 20:54, tikifish wrote:
As I coincidentally just pointed out in another topic forum, Tiki Bob is a copy of a FANG mask. the Fang people are from the Cameroon area I believe.Sure, he looks like a weird googie 60's caricature, but he actually has tribal provenance!

Great catch Fishy, I love tracing Poly Pop back to it's sources, can you e-mail a j-peg of said mask?

Must be the Ngil mask. Here are some I googled.

http://www.masksoftheworld.com/Africa/Africa%20Fang%20Mask.htm

http://www.randafricanart.com/Fang_ngil.html

http://www.afribilia.com/cgi-bin/perlshop.pl?ACTION=thispage&thispage=00292-1.html

http://www.authenticafrica.com/longfangmasks.html

http://www.hamillgallery.com/FANG/FangMasks/FangMasks.html

Ironically, I just picked up a couple bags of sorrel which is dried hibiscus blossoms. It's used to make a Jamaican holiday drink. I'll be using it to make a sort of tiki beer. The Caribbean restaurant I got them from has fish trap lights hanging everywhere and a great matting/bamboo washroom. Those few elements of tiki make me feel at home. I personally like to keep things more on the traditional side of tiki, but I have lots of new mixed in with the old. I'd like a nice bird of some kind in my home bar, but so far have seen only cheap looking ones.

On 2005-02-05 11:14, Unga Bunga wrote:
I've said it before as well as a lot of others here is; As long as you're having fun!

Unga said it best. If it feels good. Do it.

I made a few little clay masks. They are Benzart small. I love that first African mask and this is a version of one. Actually that mask is totally African and yet has all the qualities of a moai

Mix and match if you are happy doing it. Its my tiki bar and i will cry if I want to.

I watched "Pirates of the Carribean" and thought how cool is this? Apart from an odd tiki bar lurking in the background this is as close as we are gonna get to tiki-ism getting on the big screen. Its all blue sky, crystal clear water, coconut palms and good booze flavoured romanticism.

The pirates would have cruised polynesia for a good time if there were enough boats to plunder to make a quid.

(and yes, I admit I want to be Johnny Depps character cause he is so cool, but I want to get keira Knightley as my wench)

On 2005-02-06 13:05, Tikiwahine wrote:
Ironically, I just picked up a couple bags of sorrel which is dried hibiscus blossoms. It's used to make a Jamaican holiday drink. I'll be using it to make a sort of tiki beer. The Caribbean restaurant I got them from has fish trap lights hanging everywhere and a great matting/bamboo washroom. Those few elements of tiki make me feel at home. I personally like to keep things more on the traditional side of tiki, but I have lots of new mixed in with the old. I'd like a nice bird of some kind in my home bar, but so far have seen only cheap looking ones.

[ Edited by: sonofabeach on 2005-06-14 07:49 ]

Anything is possible.Should it be?????????

Sometimes I feel LiKe A oNe LeggEd MaN In aN ASs KiCkInG cOnTeSt.

[ Edited by: sonofabeach on 2005-02-08 08:51 ]

History repeating itself...

No, no, no bigbro. We WILL keep tiki alive, so help me Tiki.

I didn't know that the Tiki Bob design was based on the Fang Tribe. I've always disliked that design. But now, Fish, you've shattered my blissful ignorance. I might dislike it a little less and take another look.

Of course they CAN be, they get mixed up and mashed together all the time. Now SHOULD they be? That's another question, I'll let the Tiki Scholars of Tiki Central ponder. I have seen lounges get mixed up with a little jungle fever too, it looked great, but does it belong in a tiki bar? Who the frick cares really, if it's a good fit for you and you feel comfortable in it, wear it. Lifes to short to HAVE to worry about if a tiki, parrot or zebra rug should technically belong in your very own junglish, nauticalish, carribeanish, tiki barish bar. But if a "TIKI" Bar is what you want and authenticity is your goal, then my answer to your question would have to be "NO".

[ Edited by: DawnTiki on 2005-02-08 08:08 ]

HAY WHY NOT? ITS YO THANG DO WAHT YOU WANTA DO!
FO SHIZZLE!

On 2005-02-06 13:05, Tikiwahine wrote:
Ironically, I just picked up a couple bags of sorrel which is dried hibiscus blossoms. It's used to make a Jamaican holiday drink. I'll be using it to make a sort of tiki beer.

Ooohh, are you coming to Oasis, i must try!

TBird.

[ Edited by: Tiki Bird on 2005-02-08 09:11 ]

I was thinking more of a stuffed Enchanted Tiki Room style bird, maybe a Toucan? NEVER with sunglasses on, sorry sonofabeach :)

On 2005-02-08 09:10, Tiki Bird wrote:

Ooohh, are you coming to Oasis, i must try!

TBird.

I WISH tiki bird! I'll be at the NW tiki crawl, but I'm not sure if it'll be done by then. The expert(husband) is away with only two weeks of home time between now and August. I have a dependable supply of sorrel, and I do plan on doing a westcoast road trip within the next year. First batch'll be all about experimentation anyhow.

I can't wait!!

I think tropical birds are VERY appropriate for a tiki bar, especially since my first exposure/lust for a tiki "bar" sprung from my many childhood experiences at Disney's Tiki Room - which is all about the tropical birds.

my tiki bar/room has, among its treasures: one fake parrot (a gift from parents); a print of a vintage Disney Tiki Room poster (birds and tikis); and a really cool funky hand-painted oil painting of tropical birds done in a wacky geometric/primitive style in oranges and yellows. I picked it up at a garage sale in the middle of bumfruck Oregon for about $1. Hand written on the back of it in permanent marker is the name and address of some woman on "telegraph ave, berkeley" but I've never looked her up.

I'd probably have real birds in there too if my cat wasn't so darn fond of them...

last time I was in Hawaii there was a flock of wild parrots hanging out near our patio; man they were noisy! But then, I just read there is a flock of wild parrots on telegraph hill in SF so that doesn't necessarily make parrots "polynesian."

On 2005-02-08 07:59, buffetiki wrote:
HAY WHY NOT? ITS YO THANG DO WAHT YOU WANTA DO!
FO SHIZZLE!

You're right! You can have parrots with sunglasses and all the Caribbean props you want... Just don't call it Tiki.

How about calling ourselves:

Poly-Carib-voo-tiki lifestylists

Very PC!!

Wow, what price "authenticity?"

Is rayon from Polynesia? Heck, did they even grow cotton? Now I'm not sure what kind of shirt is officially tiki "material."

I don't think they made ceramic mugs, either. No plastic swizzle sticks or ice cubes, for sure.

Already mentioned is that rum is Carribean. I'm trying to find a place that can set me straight on which distilled spirits (which originated in "Arabia") would even qualify.

The Ukulele is of Portuguese origin.

Getting into "official" Tiki compliance would be too difficult - no internet and no electricity. Arthur Lyman or Martin Denny on CD? No way.

Did real Polynesians deep fat fry spring rolls or rumaki and drink Zombies?

At some point, all Tiki purity becomes corrupt. We are trying to recreate something that was artificial/inauthentic to begin with. Tiki was schtick from day one, so how do you keep it "real?" Is getting loaded at a hotel in Palm Springs "authentic" Tiki? (I say it is, by the way.)

Tiki has to have some leeway for evolution and addition/inclusion, or we would have to become "Tiki Amish" in order to properly shun any items or technology made after 1949.

OK, that being said, I vote for Polynesian flavored tropical spirit and spirits as being the standard of Tiki-ness, with all new Tiki somehow incorporating, furthering, or acknowledging those roots.

Remember, Tiki also slyly utilized the juxtapositioning of the 'primitive' with the 'ultra modern', so there was alot of slack built into it in the first place.

Sorry to go long.

YEAH! what GEEKY said TD

Please don't flame me for this:

I don't believe Carribean can exist with Tiki, but there are other styles like Safari, lounge, space pop and Voodoo that can.

IMHO, tiki is a recreation of 40, 50,60's american style, and very little of that was carribean (Except for the rum, of course)

I agree with Sven: Buffetization helped ruin Tiki, for sure. (and so did the british rock invasion).

There is one great photo (actually, there are 100's of great photos) of a group of partiers in the BOT that pretty much sums up my whole tiki experience. The geek with the blonde hair and glasses reaching down to grab a puu-puu, while in mid-conversation. That image is iconic, in my opinion.

There are no long haired buffet/frat boys/hippies (apologies McDougall!!no insult intended)in the picture, or anywhere in the book, BUT, there are many pictures of women with cool beehives!

Musically though, it can get a little confusing, as a lot of Arthur Lyman and Martin Denny had obvious latin rythems.

and then there is bossa nova music!

Geeky Tiki wrote:

Wow, what price "authenticity?"

Authenticity is a relative term now isn't it?
Although personally, I love the Polynesian cultures, they really have very little to do with Hulaville. I am more of a "Polynesian Pop" flavored kinda gal myself.
So yes, there is plenty of room in my bar for plastic swizzle stix, rayon fabrics and "yes" even electricity along with most all other modern conveniences.
This debate will never end because right or wrong, there will always be people who see themselves as purists and elitists, bumping heads with those who have broader definitions of the words they use to define themselves.

On 2005-02-08 16:03, DawnTiki wrote:

This debate will never end because

...it seems to be going in circles

right or wrong, there will always be people who see themselves as purists and elitists,

I don't see myself as purist or elitist (I'm also not sayin you said so, Dawn). I am NOT propagating the "final solution" for parrots. They are quite lovely, actually.

But let's remember why we all have congregated here:

We like what now has become known as Tiki style, a kookie, in-authentic, mainland centered recreational lifestyle from the 50s/60s that aped Polynesian cultures.

We like Tiki because it was/is FUNNY (meaning not to be taken too serious). But we also like it because it was UNIQUE (meaning unlike other lifestyles). This uniqueness is achieved by Tiki style utilizing a quite large but yet specific repertoire of symbols and icons, comprising a sort of a visual language, outlined for the first time (in it's extensiveness) in the BOT.
Mixing in too many other idioms will water down what is special about Tiki. Tiki is NOT "World Music". Authenticity CAN exist within IN-authenticity.

AND we also like Tiki because of it's creativity. It is an example of how man/woman can re-interpret a certain style in seemingly endlessly varying ways. But the talent is to do so WITHIN the parameters of the style.
Too much purple messes up the whole picture.

AND I like it because it's symbols and icons are not easy to come by, and they are sort of secret, still. Using readily available, well known stuff is boring and un-thrilling.

But Tiki is also alive, not a dead religion, and to stay alive it must be open to new concepts (but let it be concepts that are fitting and do justice to it's ingeniousness!)

Heed my words, mateys, if we do not learn from the past, we are condemned to repeat it! :wink:

...and now go and have fun, kids, bigbro has big heart and forgives style crimes (for a Mai Tai).

On 2005-02-05 13:25, Johnny Dollar wrote:
i figured that when i start to build my bar, the self-imposed rule would be that if it could float to the pacific islands and make it as flotsam/jetsam, it could be hung up in the bar :) as far as parrots go, one almost made it from peru to raroia on the kon-tiki. i think there was a fake parrot in the honolulu, so i would feel comfortable putting one in my bar.

Good rule.

However, there are similarities in places other than the South Pacific which have tiki characteristics.

If tiki is based on a Hawaiian model, the Carribean also conjures up the tantalizing visons of coconut trees, beautiful islands in exotic locales and potent, rum-based drinks.

On the African continent, in the sub-Saharan areas, the distinction also begins to blur because there are wooden representations of gods, there is dancing to drums and the wooden gods do bear a striking resemblence to tiki.

I think tiki needs to spread out and start co-opting these other places. I say begin in South Florida, on the Mai Kai model, and then begin spreading the tiki love into the Carribean.

There appears to be more than enough similarity in the indegenous culture and sun-seeking tourists that there should not be any reistance.

How did tiki style evolve from hot rod to surf to tiki, anyway?

Tiki and Caribbean. Can they be mixed?

They always have been. I don't see why that would or should stop.

Plenty of Caribbean influence existed in the original tiki craze. So in that respect the answer is yes. Don B didn't travel to Samoa for his rum.

But if you mean to ask if modern Caribbean flavors or culture belong in a modern reproduction of an authentic tiki bar, then I'd say no. All of the Caribbean influence that should be seen in an authentic tiki bar is already contained and seamlessly integrated into tiki culture. Drawing in additional influence only dilutes the authenticity.

In the end though, I'll side with the folks that say, "It's your tiki, do what you want with it." I don't believe that escapism has rules.

I also don't believe that tiki culture is ever going to become mainstream enough (as it was in it's true heyday) that the concept of it becoming diluted will ever be an issue worthy of serious concern or discussion. Those of us that love it will keep it pure enough, those that dilute it too much obviously weren't all that sold on it in the first place and will simply move on to the next big thing.

I understand the desire to keep it close to its roots, but exclusivity is just so unnecessary today. It isn't as if we are defending hundreds of tiki supper clubs and bars from being turned into Cheeseburger in Paradise franchises. It's a niche culture this tiki thing. The poly-pop resurgence of recent years is nothing more than a shallow fad in low rent department stores and the entertainment industry. It certainly does not reflect a full on tiki revival. Maybe it just signifies the public finally accepting tiki as a legit pop culture phenomenon. But hell, 90% of the American public still doesn't know what it is all about.

So if you want to put parrothead crap in your bar, do it. Just don't try to tell me it's a real deal old school tiki bar.

I happen to collect vintage rum ads, signage, and ad related paraphenalia. Most, if not all of it is Caribbean in the geographical aspect. I display it with my tikis as one collection. I realize it is not authentic to have a Rhum Barbancourt sign on the wall of the bar, but I like it and that is all that matters to me.

Ahu (Just wanted to take my swing at this dead horse. I like St. John USVI just as much as Kauai, but I still wouldn't play Bob Marley in my tiki bar.)

Fraternal Order of Moai
http://www.fraternalorderofmoai.org

Edited once for plain old bad spelling errors I didn't see when I typed it out

[ Edited by: KuKuAhu on 2005-02-15 11:41 ]

Aaah, yaah! Not Tiki being ursurped by other styles, but let Tiki be the ursurper! Tiki world domination!
....We can begin with Tiki mugs that look like regular drink containers, and only after repeated dishwasher runs loose the first layer of cold glaze to let the grimacing idol come out! Unwittingly, the world's remaining community of tropical sunseekers will fall prey to the call of TIKI!

ACTUALLY, there is an example of this: On the back cover of my previously mentioned THE BIG BAMBOO Calypso album (yes, I DO listen to -gulp- Carribean music in my Tiki home, without covering my Tikis' ears), recorded at the Big Bamboo Club, Nassau, Bahamas in 1961, there is a great color photo, rivaling any Tiki bar postcard:
Happy white tourists on the tables, with tropical drinks in front of them, black waitstaff and band in the b.g., and WHAT do we see under the palmfrond roofing along the wall as wall paper?: TAPA cloth!

I admit I am not well versed in Carribean folk art tradition, but...

Yet...looking at that photo again, pondering it, it is lovely, but something is missing. It just doesn't have the "bite", the "edge" that makes Tiki bar interiors so unique...

Hmmm, could it be...? TIKIS!? Are these folks sitting on furniture carved in the shape of Voodooo dolls? Do the fiery eyes of a giant reproduction of Macumba gaze over the clientel? Nope, nada, nix. Carribean style is just not the same than Tiki, sorry.

On 2005-02-08 15:47, lucas vigor wrote:
There is one great photo (actually, there are 100's of great photos) of a group of partiers in the BOT that pretty much sums up my whole tiki experience. The geek with the blonde hair and glasses reaching down to grab a puu-puu, while in mid-conversation. That image is iconic, in my opinion.

I agree with that!
That photograph always stops me because of that blond guy! Maybe it's the unapologetic platinum blond of his hair, or the way he's intently listening to someone, or maybe it's those wacky white pedal pushers, I don't know, but I love that photo. (Everyone turn to page 41 of the BOT)

You can mix whatever styles make you the happiest, as long as you spell it Caribbean and add fireflies on wires. :)

As for Pirates. Didn't I see pirates in the South Pacific in the movie Swiss Family Robinson? I don't know if that counts, but...

On 2005-02-08 19:42, bigbrotiki wrote:
...let Tiki be the ursurper! Tiki world domination!

...We can begin with Tiki mugs that...after repeated dishwasher runs loose the first layer of cold glaze to let the grimacing idol come out!

Ah ha ha! I can see it now...some poor sap from Frazeysburg Ohio casually opens the dishwasher and to his horror the truth is revealed! And then of course he immediately misinterprets it, calling out to his wife, "Honey, all them damned glasses what you bought at Walmarts done turned into injun vases in the dishwarsher!"

Yet...looking at that photo again, pondering it, it is lovely, but something is missing. It just doesn't have the "bite", the "edge" that makes Tiki bar interiors so unique...

Hmmm, could it be...? TIKIS!? Are these folks sitting on furniture carved in the shape of Voodooo dolls? Do the fiery eyes of a giant reproduction of Macumba gaze over the clientel? Nope, nada, nix.

A situation easily remedied I should think. We'll concentrate our initial efforts in these lovely tropical locales. After all, the rum is cheap and the varieties abound therein. They'll provide us with drink, and we shall import the new religion.

:tiki:

Ahu

If you want to be 'cool' and sophisticated and laid back (in a suave way), Then Vintage Tiki's your bag

But if your looking for Fun and Frills, dancing and craziness... Go Caribbean.

that's the only difference worth concerning your self about.
Tiki on the mainland is what you make it.... be Free! it's a Free Country!!