What should a tiki band play?

I had a dream last night that I was in a tiki bar, listening to Duane Eddy jam with Santo Farina and a conga player. If I were to put together a little trio like that, what tunes should we play? There's a new tiki restaurant in town that might need some entertainment...

[ Edited by: Tele295 2013-04-06 14:39 ]

On 2013-04-06 14:38, Tele295 wrote:
I had a dream last night that I was in a tiki bar, listening to Duane Eddy jam with Santo Farina and a conga player. If I were to put together a little trio like that, what tunes should we play? There's a new tiki restaurant in town that might need some entertainment...

[ Edited by: Tele295 2013-04-06 14:39 ]

In a nutshell, surf music.

Tiki, surf?
No no no!!

Jeff btd

Go old school...Les Baxter, Arthur Lyman, and Martin Denny...JMHO

On 2013-04-07 16:22, VampiressRN wrote:
Go old school...Les Baxter, Arthur Lyman, and Martin Denny...JMHO

I was thinking along those lines, Vampiress. I used to do Quiet Village and Caravan years ago. Maybe Tangerine, or Blue Hawaiians' Martini 5-0. Any other suggestions?

On 2013-04-07 16:22, VampiressRN wrote:
Go old school...Les Baxter, Arthur Lyman, and Martin Denny...JMHO

Yes! More straight up exotica in the tiki music scene would be refreshing. It would be interesting to hear a smaller band pull of a large sound.

On 2013-04-07 16:22, VampiressRN wrote:
Go old school...Les Baxter, Arthur Lyman, and Martin Denny...JMHO

Yes! More straight up exotica in the tiki music scene would be refreshing. It would be interesting to hear a smaller band pull off a large sound.

On 2013-04-10 08:33, Tiki Kaimuki wrote:

On 2013-04-07 16:22, VampiressRN wrote:
Go old school...Les Baxter, Arthur Lyman, and Martin Denny...JMHO

Yes! More straight up exotica in the tiki music scene would be refreshing. It would be interesting to hear a smaller band pull off a large sound.

The reason you don't hear more of this is because the music is too hard to play. Baxter/lyman/denny just made it sound easy. But to play like those guys did, you must have some skill in jazz or classical. In my opinion, this is why the majority of "tiki" bands are playing surf instead of true exotica.

And the ones that are are doing a damn fine job of it.

Some are. I personally like the insect surfers and space cossacks, that kind of thing.

But in a nutshell, (and speaking from a musician's perspective) surf music is not hard to play. That's why every time I hear of a new "tiki" band starting, it is invariably a surf band. There are just not that many totally pure exotica bands out there right now. The ones that do exist are also doing a damn fine job. Mr. Ho, waitiki, don tiki, martini kings, stolen idols, and that one swedish or german band whose name I cannot remember or pronounce. That's only a handful, really.

So I agree with vampiress and Kaimuki. I would like to hear more true exotica bands. But somehow I don't think I will. True exotica is too hard to play, and most people (even tiki people) really don't care for it.

[ Edited by: lucas vigor 2013-04-10 11:30 ]

On 2013-04-10 11:29, lucas vigor wrote:
...
and that one swedish or german band whose name I cannot remember or pronounce.

...
[ Edited by: lucas vigor 2013-04-10 11:30 ]

ÌXTAHUELE?

Good Exotica requires subtlety with passion.

That's the name.

Is Ixtahuele a band or a song?

I've played in surf bands. It's fun for the first 10 or 15 minutes, and then... Kinda repetitious

We all have classical, jazz, and studio backgrounds. I'm thinking some interesting tiki jazz sounds, something you can slink & drink to

[ Edited by: Tele295 2013-04-10 21:17 ]

How about taking a fresh approach? Like combining exoticia/hawaiian with say... gypsy jazz? I think songs like Flamingo, Simboney, Beyond the Reef, Adventure in Paradise and, maybe, Nite in Tunisia (the last not really tiki) would work well in that style. You already know Caravan and I'm sure you've heard Django's Chinatown My Chinatown which I heard Martin Denny play at La Mariana sailing club years ago.
Just some thoughts, by the way, who made your petite bouche?

aloha, tikicoma

On 2013-04-11 00:03, tikicoma wrote:
How about taking a fresh approach? Like combining exoticia/hawaiian with say... gypsy jazz?

There was a great band called Exotiki that did just that....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8uNICr5yl4

Funny you should mention Exotiki - that's my pal, Jeff Ross on manouche guitar

For sure there are some Django tunes that would work, like Manoir de Mes Reves and Oriental Shuffle.

My petite Bouche is a Gitane DG300. It has served me well, although I'd love to have an AJL or a Shopis

I will agree with posts already mentioned. I am looking forward to Ven-Tiki lounge opening. It will be Tiki a little closer to home. :D

No tiki bar in Pismo or Morro? That seems like a crying shame. Can't go to McLintocks every night!

Aloha,

I like to play ukulele, and my band, TIKI COWBOYS plays Island~Americana songs about Surf, Sand, Sun and/or Wood to keep things Tiki-ish in the broadest sense of the Tiki genre!

Check out our original sound at: http://www.tikicowboys.com

If you're serious about doing this, I've found that an average audience composed of non-musicians responds most favorably to tunes with which they're familiar. If you took a popular song well known to them (and this depends on the age group) like, say, Guns 'n Roses' "Welcome To The Jungle", then Hawaiianize or Exoticize it, you're likely to get a little participation from them. You might even get some compliments. Otherwise, you're just one step above being Sonic Wallpaper and you've spent all of that time and effort learning involved arrangements for nothing.

[ Edited by: Mateotiki 2013-04-18 21:52 ]

On 2013-04-15 18:43, Tele295 wrote:
No tiki bar in Pismo or Morro? That seems like a crying shame. Can't go to McLintocks every night!

Ha! No McLintocks :). It is a crying shame though. As far as Tiki bars is concerned there's nothing in Pismo. San Luis Obispo has a bar called Creeky Tiki, but I would not categorize it as a Tiki bar. More of a surf pub with a few Tikis. Morro Bay has the Harbor Hut, but its not quite the same after the remodel a few years back.

Try Renn Loren & the Hawaii Project's 50th State of Mind for something quite different.... Exotica Rock, The Doors go tropical/exotica....

You can find it on Spotify.

If you like it simply email me and I'll send you the MP3s.