Tiki Music Defined

The definition of Tiki Music is....

Whatever we want it to be !!

Have we had this discussion before ?? (Sorry, if we have)

OK, TC's own Sperm Whale plays in a Punk Rock band, the Hard Riders. I know he tries to be a good Tiki Central citizen and hesitates in posting his band's upcoming shows in Tiki Events because it's not "Tiki Music".

But what is Tiki Music anyway ?? The definition listed under the Tiki Music forum is:

"Exotica, Lounge, Cocktail, Hawaiian, Vocals & Standards, Bump & Grind, Space-Age, Surf, Rockabilly, Swing"

Where did this definition come from?

I think that most would agree that pre-Martin Denny Exotica as well as Surf, Rockabilly, and Swing were probably NEVER played in a Tiki bar back in the day.

You could make the following arguments:

1. Those were all popular forms of music during the classic Tiki mid-century period. BUT... hey, so was garage rock which was one of Punk Rock's major DIY inspirations.

2. Modern-day Tikiphiles love Surf, Rockabilly, Swing, etc. BUT... hey, has anyone noticed all of the aging 1st and 2nd generation Punkers here who also love Tiki ??

Also if a band is inspired by Tiki to play a genre of music that isn't "Exotica, Lounge, Cocktail, Hawaiian, Vocals & Standards, Bump & Grind, Space-Age, Surf, Rockabilly, or Swing" does that make it Tiki Music ??

What does everyone else think ??

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2010-03-31 22:02 ]

I think that if they sang about tikis or the island life, or wahinis then it could be tiki punk.
but until they do that, its not tiki music,
and only 1 of the guys is on TC(that I know of)
But if he posted it(the show info) in tiki events or tiki music, I wouldn't mind at all.

as a matter of fact, I think he should, so any TC Ohana that isn't on his e-mail or facebook list.
could know about it, and maybe go.

Jeff(btd)

Speaking of Punk and Tiki, let's not forget about the Hula Punk CD:

I stand corrected, ha ha ha.

Jeff(btd)

That is awesome.... And speaking of tiki and punk AGAIN.... The Hula Girls are opening up for TSOL's Ron Emory at the Blue Cafe on May 7th! Ron asked me, personally, for us to open his own solo CD release party! Pretty rad stuff.

Now, back to the conversation at hand...

I think the purist mentality of tiki music is limiting. Hapa Hoele music is played with uke, steel, upright bass and minimal to no drums... Or exotica should only be upright bass, vibes, percussion, and piano.... While I do think that certain music is NOT tiki music (we don't need to do the Buffet thing again on this thread) I don't think tiki music should be limited to just the traditional purist elements as they were played during the period.

In fact, I don't think that Jim's Tikiyaki Orchestra would necessarily be considered a 'traditional exotica' band...And they might be considered one of the premiere modern 'tiki' bands...and that's what I love about it... They combine the greatest elements of all things cocktail and surf and jazz and it comes out fresh and new and super cool.

The Blue Hawaiians were kind of the same way. They fused exotica with surf to create the ultimate dark and foreboding dreamscape that finds itself very comfortable in a tiki atmosphere. New and exciting music when it came out.

And that's what I'm working on with The Hula Girls... Taking elements of rockabilly and hapa haole, surf and jazz, and fusing it with tiki/ hawaiian themes. Bands have touched on it in the past, but I thought it would be killer to have a band where these themes were the whole focus. Charlie Feathers goes to Hawaii or Carl Perkins goes to Easter Island.

Hopefully you will all really dig our debut album, "The Curse of the Tiki" that we begin recording in April! I think we have some really good songs that you'll be able to carve tikis and mix cocktails to. And some amazing guests playing on the album.

So for me, tiki music is a conglomeration of the music that came out of the period when tiki was seeing it's greatest popularity. I would consider it everything from jazz to exotica from the 40s-50s, rockabilly to surf and spy from the 50's and early 60's, and bachelor pad and space music from the 40's, 50's, and 60's. So that's how I would define 'tiki' music.

I'm sure there will be plenty of comments to what I have bloviated on... What is your interpretation?

Wow, nice post Spike.

It's hard for me to articulate (or defend), but I just feel a kinship between classic Punk Rock and the Tiki Revival. It's like if you can understand Punk then you can understand Tiki. I know there's many facets of Tiki, but the ones that appeal to me are that Tiki is edgy, primal, and politically incorrect. To me, Tiki isn't a hula girl placing a lei around my neck and wishing me Aloha but it's taking that same hula girl (hopefully a virgin) and sacrificing her to the volcano God. (In a nice kitschy way of course).

Now I loves me my Les, Yma, Drasnin, Annette, Don (Ho), and Louis & Keely but sometimes the sound of fast basic 3-chord rock 'n roll can be so good in the mid-century Tiki bar. If Rockabilly and Surf can be Tiki music then why not Punk ??

ATP, help me out here. :)

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2010-03-31 23:13 ]

[ Edited by: lucas vigor 2016-09-23 12:56 ]

This is a subject close to my heart. I always wonder about the breadth of tiki music (rockabilly, surf, burlesque) and the simultaneous 'rules' around it, so when I have my gatherings, I call the music 'tiki and beyond' and leave it at that.

For example, is Louis Armstrong tiki? No. What about his version of "On a Coconut Island"? Yup, works for me.

In the surf arena, are the Ventures or Aqua Velvets tiki? For me, yes. The Beach Boys or Jan and Dean? Not so much. Yet they're both surf, soooo...yeah.

Along with exotica (classic and contemporary) and surf (ditto), I always have old-timey hapa haole and contemporary Hawaiian and Pacific music, as well. Does it have a uke or vibes in it? Are they singing in Hawaiian (or Samoan or Tahitian)? Does it make me feel like I could be on vacation somewhere? 'Cause that's really all I need. It may not always be 'purist' tiki, whatever that even means, but if burlesque and punk (awesome graphic, BTW!) can be tiki, I can't get too fussed about including Te Vaka or the Brothers Cazimero or whatever. For me, it's about escapism. If it works with a mai tai, it's in.

Your mileage may vary, of course.

[ Edited by: Hibiscus 2010-04-01 08:13 ]

Well said by both of you guys... I literally yelled, 'yes' when I read John-O's line that went "To me, Tiki isn't a hula girl placing a lei around my neck and wishing me Aloha but it's taking that same hula girl (hopefully a virgin) and sacrificing her to the volcano God."

That is EXACTLY it for me! You want hear a lot of THAT? Click over to our mySpace page and listen to the song, The Curse of the Tiki! It's my version of a lowbrow painting in song. http://www.myspace.com/thehulagirlsband

The first verse of the song goes:

WELL A MIDGET IN A FEZ
THOSE GIANT STONE HEADS
WINGED EYEBALLS
A SURFER FALLS....
POUR ME A ZOMBIE
INTO A UKULELE
PUFFERFISH LAMP
STILETTO HEELED VAMP....

on a side note,
why do all rockabilly songs start with WELL?
:wink:

And Hibiscus,
the Ventures are an Instro Rock band that cashed in on surf for a few years.
and Jan and Dean, and the Beach Boys are Beach music, Not surf.

Jeff(btd)

A Very interesting topic indeed!!!

When I first started doing my podcast, I did something that has turned out to be quite eye opening. I made a playlist in my iTunes and threw all the standard exotica/Hapa haole, etc into it. Then I began to through in modern electronica( not the thumping club stuff, but styles called Ambient & Chill), swing (40's), crooners (Sinatra, Fitzgerald, etc), surf and even some trip hop. The interesting thing is that most of it fits nicely when I have a cocktail party or just relaxing in tiki-ville.

I have found that there is quite a number of radically unrelated genres of music that, when mixed together, can actually complement each other.

John-O's first line in this thread is the best "Tiki music is whatever we want it to be".

Tiki music is whatever sets the tiki mood and/or the environment that you're in. Having said that, it IS true that "tiki music" is generally thought of as exotica, and vintage Hawaiian music because that is the most obvious and most often played within a tiki environment.

[ Edited by: Digitiki 2010-04-01 09:52 ]

On 2010-04-01 09:52, Digitiki wrote:
A Very interesting topic indeed!!!

When I first started doing my podcast, I did something that has turned out to be quite eye opening. I made a playlist in my iTunes and threw all the standard exotica/Hapa haole, etc into it. Then I began to through in modern electronica( not the thumping club stuff, but styles called Ambient & Chill), swing (40's), crooners (Sinatra, Fitzgerald, etc), surf and even some trip hop. The interesting thing is that most of it fits nicely when I have a cocktail party or just relaxing in tiki-ville.

I have found that there is quite a number of radically unrelated genres of music that, when mixed together, can actually complement each other.

John-O's first line in this thread is the best "Tiki music is whatever we want it to be".

Tiki music is whatever sets the tiki mood and/or the environment that you're in. Having said that, it IS true that "tiki music" is generally thought of as exotica, and vintage Hawaiian music because that is the most obvious and most often played within a tiki environment.

[ Edited by: Digitiki 2010-04-01 09:52 ]

YES! to all of this. I pretty much start with exotica/hapa haole and branch out from there. And John-O's line about anything you want it to be totally works for me (with certain limits - we all draw our lines at some point).

While learning about sub-genres and offshoots and such is interesting (Beach vs. Surf? Who knew? Thanks, Jeff!) and sort of fun to know, in the long run I guess I just don't care all that much about that aspect. It's the mood that works for me, not the pedigree or a strict historical breakdown, and while I really appreciate the scholarship behind it (and is one of the reasons TC is so much fun,) that's more of a "oh, that's nice..." sort of thing. I appreciate that a lot of folks really like to dig into the historical aspects, and that's awesome, because someone has to preserve the knowledge. It's just not why I'm into tiki culture.

Luckily it's a pretty big tent!

I heard that most rockabilly songs start with "weeeell" in order for the singer to find the correct pitch to sing in... Just something I heard though....

The electronica thing is an interesting subject... While I can't usually stand that stuff, The Tiki Tones did a really cool album called The Leisure Experiment. It has all kinds of samples and digital drum machines in it. Usually I'd quiver at that thought, but it is a super cool album. Check it out if you get a chance.

Yes, this topic has been discussed MANY times on TC, both explicitly and in the context of other topics. It comes up every once in a while when someone posts about something in this forum that some people feel is NOT tiki music. But I'm not trying to discourage anyone from adding to this particular thread. In fact, I've got some thoughts to add too.

For me, this kind of question is only meaningful if you've got a context in mind. There's any number of contexts:

• What is appropriate for discussion IN THIS FORUM. I believe Hanford came up with the forum description. In that sense, it doesn't really matter what individuals may consider "tiki" music in one form or another. It's very simple to stick to the convention that anything within the listed genres is good for the Tiki Music forum, and any other music is still fine to discuss, but just in Beyond.

• What kind of music fits for a "tiki event". Depends on the event - Oasis, Hukilau, music between sets at a live show, bus music on a crawl, music at a house party, ... It's tough to please everyone at an event like Oasis, because some people are really wanting something danceable, while others would prefer more constant sedate exotica. So I think the "rules" are a bit more lax at big events, where it's fair game to play most anything that's likely to have common appeal for the audience.

• What kind of music should the ideal tiki bar have playing. This one might be the most interesting or contentious, because it relates to the feeling that the "wrong" music can pop the escapist fantasy bubble. One of the earliest TC discussions along those lines was about Taboo Cove, where the Bosko decor was fantastic, but the atmosphere was kind of compromised by the music.

• What kind of music do YOU like to listen to (in your home tiki room, or while carving, or...). It's always interesting to hear what people like. And obviously even where tastes differ, no one's trying to tell anyone else what they should or shouldn't listen to. A radio show or podcast is like this, where the host has the leeway to use any constraints he chooses, and hopefully people listen because their tastes align.

So I'm not sure which of these this thread is trying to define. Maybe any/all?

It's possible to draw links to punk, reggae (and calypso, rock-steady, etc.), garage, frat, jazz, and many other genres. But the more you do that, I think you're actually moving away from "Tiki Music Defined" and more into something vague with no meaning at all. For me personally, I think of tiki music pretty narrowly. But I rarely confine my listening to that narrow space, and I'd argue that few of the contexts above are restricted to that space either. So in practical terms, it doesn't really affect anything whether my definition is narrow or broad. And I think something like Sven's cd is an interesting take at the narrow definition, without any dogma about what YOU should like.

So personally, I would exclude rockabilly and even most surf. Surf is an interesting one because a lot of songs share some of that minor key exotic feeling, but it's oriented toward more of a teenage audience. The kids at the dance, as opposed to their parents at the bar. But surf was mostly still from the era of ballrooms and matching jackets. The same transition over just a couple years that carried the shift to more garage, psych, and later punk, coincided with the beginning of the end for the classic poly pop culture that we celebrate on TC. So that's part of why these other genres seem more clearly excluded to me, but that somehow surf almost fits.

-Randy

I just heard that Mickey Hart is forming a tiki band with Jimmy Buffet.

[ Edited by: lucas vigor 2016-09-23 12:56 ]

I think it's very interesting to define tiki music by putting it in context of how it applies to the environment that it is being played in... and I agree that the further that you get away from the 'original' stuff, the more you lose the 'tiki' aspect to the music.

I can very narrowly define 'tiki' music too. I was talking with the drummer of Thee Cormans about it the other day. He said that he was talking with somebody and asked the guy what kind of music do you like... The guy responded, 'tiki music'. When he was further prodded along in the question, the guy really couldn't define what he meant. We both immediately came to the conclusion that traditionally, pure tiki music is Hawaiian (hapa haole, steel, and slack key) and Exotica. Simple as that... But I still feel that it's boring and unartistic in creating 'tiki' music to remain constrained by those boundaries. We should learn from the past and take what was good about that stuff to create something new and exciting. Just like Tikiyaki, just like The Blue Hawaiians, just like The Tiki Tones, and now, just like The Hula Girls are doing... I believe that all of those bands would fit nicely in a playlist at Don's, and it would be super cool. With that, of course, I still feel like there is always room for a purist take as well.

Rockabilly, I agree, is not traditionally considered 'tiki' music. But Marie plays some at Don's and it doesn't seem to bum anyone out. it fits in there nicely. I think that it falls into the question of context... You play too much exotica and people are gonna fall asleep in their drinks...But you play too much rockabilly, and all of the sudden we're at the Doll Hut and not in paradise anymore.... Anyway, The Hula Girls are bending that perception. Even if we're the ONLY hulabilly band out there....

I also remember the discussions about the music at Taboo Cove. I'm sure I was part of that thread too. When I was there, before they killed the place, it was a combination of super loud hard rock (like Kid Rock stuff) and hip hop... I really feel that the music had to do with the fate of that place... Well, that, and a bad location and minimal advertising....

[ Edited by: lucas vigor 2016-09-23 12:56 ]

Hibiscus said it much more simply than I did - "when I have my gatherings, I call the music 'tiki and beyond'".

In other words, if something doesn't fit into a narrow definition of tiki music, that doesn't mean it's out of place at a tiki event (or some other tiki context).

But to whatever extent definitions are useful for anything at all, my own take is that they're more useful the more specific they are. For example, some of the absolute greatest surf bands ever in the 60s also played other kinds of music too. In fact I'd venture that MOST "surf" bands had at least some vocals in their live shows. Doesn't mean we're stuck with questions about what is surf music, it just means they played "surf and beyond."

And there's probably few, if any, current bands that bill themselves as JUST tiki music, even if they use a broader definition than I do.

-Randy

Well, I think the Smokin' Menehunes is just a tiki band. We have 60 or so songs, with all except maybe two or three being vintage Hapa Haole music. The few non Hawaiian songs we do are jazz standards like "I'm confessin'" and "Lover".
But when we perfrom, invariably someone will request a song by Bruddah Iz, and we end up having to stumble through it. That type of Hawaiian music is not our speciality, but people probably prefer it.

Just as there were no "Tiki cocktails" in the heyday of Tiki, there was no "Tiki music". The term to me clearly denotes TODAY'S Tiki soundscape, old and new together. So my choice of words for the music of Tiki's heyday was calling my CD compilation "The Sound" of Tiki. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxX-Sfu-I_0
(The heavy use of "Surf" on this trailer is slightly misleading)

In its booklet, I describe my personal take on the genre, here are some relevant excerpts:

"Polynesian supper clubs used a variety of musical styles to support the escapist atmosphere of their establishments, but vinyl archaeologists have since discovered and defined the musical category of “Exotica” as the perfect complementary soundscape to the layered environs of a Tiki bar."

"When we travel through the archipelago of the Tiki Sound, the trade winds will lead us to the isle of EXOTICA as its heartland, with HAPA HAOLE, SURF and LOUNGE forming the outlying islets of this Polynesian pop triangle."

"Just like a good Tiki Bar interior is built from the flotsam and jetsam of the Seven Seas, Denny’s modern piano jazz not only contained foreign notes such as Asian, African, and Latin stylings, but strange and exotic percussion instruments, and, most notably, jungle sound effects--bird calls and monkey chattering. It was the aural equivalent of the multi-layered taste sensations of tropical cocktails like the Zombie or the Navy Grog.

So what was Polynesian about this “Exotic Ports of Call” concept? Denny formed and premiered his combo and sound in Hawaii’s tourist havens, like Don The Beachcomber’s (at the International Marketplace), and the Hawaiian Village Hotel’s Shell Bar. By this time, Honolulu had become a polyglot melting pot of many Pacific cultures and races. While local Hapa Haole songs portrayed the romantic and ribald side of the Hawaiian people, Denny’s music spoke of the intriguing mysteries of yet unexplored tropical islands, misty jungles, and the “curious and colorful customs” of indigenous folk."

So to me, Exotica clearly is THE "Tiki music" --with the other genres playing their parts in it. Just like RUM being the heart of a Tiki cocktail. You take that out, and it's not Tiki.

Here’s an interesting link.
http://dyske.com/paper/778
It handles Jazz, but it holds water for any form of instrumental music, or even music in another language than english.

well...(rockabilly intro)
This is always a pretty interesting discussion, but in my humble
opinion the term "tiki music" can only be applied to classic or
modern exotica, and hapa haole. These are the sounds that truly fit
the concept of an escape to a tropical island. And the music helps
transport the listener to another time and space, part of a mysterious
experience, if that's what we are looking for.

Now, I spend a great deal of time listening to rockabilly in my
lounge, but I don't consider it tiki music. It's just part of a vibe
that fits around the edges of the concept, obviously a lot of us here
enjoy it, and it also connects with another "time and lifestyle."
I also listen to a lot of vintage blues because it also takes me
to another time, perhaps I see a connection between juke joints and
tiki bars :) Taj Mahal's Hula Blues Band "might" be a link
to tiki, but I don't call it "tiki music."

In order to call something "tiki music" I think that music must have
a real connection to the original concept of a tiki bar or island
lifestyle. If a hip hop artist sings about Muddy Waters (bad example)
it's not blues, if a rockabilly song is about hula girls it's still
not tiki. It's natural for humans to broaden definitions, and it's
always a fun discussion. However, being very narrow in the categorization
is the only way that we keep Buffet out of the discussion.

On 2010-04-02 05:42, congatiki wrote:

keep Buffet out of the discussion.

AMEN to THAT!

Seriously.

I think we're actually all on the same page here. I think Sven put it the most eloquently, the true, classic definition of tiki music is exotica. And I think Randy put it the most succinctly that what he might play in his own tiki bar should be considered 'Tiki music and beyond'.

I may be contradicting myself from previous posts now, but perhaps that's why I never use the word tiki in describing The Hula Girls. The themeology is weighted heavily in tiki, but it isn't true 'tiki' music per say. That's why I've latched onto describing it as 'Hulabilly' (patent pending, 2010). Aloha.

Very interesting thread, by the way.

We might not be pure tiki, but the sentiment is truly there. Is the Elvis movie "Blue Hawaii" a Tiki movie ? I would argue that it is, and that's where our heads are at ! Rock a hula, baby!

The wild imagery of "taking a virgin hula girl and sacrificing her to the volcano God" is definitely part of the 'Pele as Goddess' exotica - why else would Arthur Lyman place photos of erupting and flowing lava on his LP covers?

But you can't go and and keep on throwing virgins into the volcano - it would get old after a while, and you don't want to be slave to a God who demands 'round the clock 24 hours a day' sacrifices. You would tire, and need to relax, and when you go back to your beach hut, you want to relax, sip a cocktail, and put your arms around the hula girls you did not sacrifice. (Sipping, and having the time to sip, is a luxury - gulping implies you are overthirsted, or need to be elsewhere as soon as possible.)

Maybe exotica is a bit unusual in that it allows for a wide range of expression - from the frantic flurry of the tribal drums pounding in unison, to the soft sounds of someone blowing a conch shell way off in the distance. The ratio tends to definitely focus on the quieter, more melodic elements, but does allow for that sliver of wildness to appear.

Maybe that is a bit of what tiki exotica is - it is the illusion of living in paradise, but with some sense of danger - perhaps the eruption of Pele - that could drastically change things. Yes, you may be in Paradise, but echoes of the WW2 past might still be heard in the distance, or rumblings of volcano tremors felt underfoot, or a Hukilau hurricane may approaching over the horizon. But that danger isn't used as a reason to fear or panic, but more as a reminder for you to enjoy even more the pleasures that are placed in front of you.

Exotica isn't just a series of pleasant musical notes - it is also the imagery associated with it.

When I think of the punk, I think of a more-or-less constant stream of loud and fast and very energetic music in an urban setting - music that I listened to a lot when I was younger, but definitely not exotica. Surf and rockabilly are placed much lower on the musical intensity scale, but I still mainly picture them as more energetic music - the first thing I think of is beach twist dance parties, or street hot rod racing after midnight. While people in the rockabilly and swing cultures do relax, that relaxation is not their core image.

The wild sliver of danger influence is important, and may be why the punk and rockabilly crowds have embraced the modern tiki revival - tiki and exotica isn't a pure calm, it's not just our grandparents falling asleep around the poolside as quiet Hawaiian-influenced jazz is played, its not simply feel-good Jimmy Buffet sing-alongs, or a steady monotony of mellow steel-drums. With exotica, there is a sense that things could get wild at any moment (Esquivel!) That wild explosion may or may not happen - but it is there.

The ex-punk/rockabilly crowds may have been attracted to the tiki/exotica scene because it was a genre of music that had mostly been abandoned by the elders. The tiki room was there, empty, vacant, and unappreciated, the imagery was there, waiting to be rediscovered. It may have been perfect timing - the aging punkers and rockabilly crowd, looking for a quiter setting for themseleves as they grew older, that would still allow them to mellow out a bit, but still retian a sense of wildness -- and they claimed the imagery, embraced the scene, and were and are a critical element in its revival.

Vern

as for the surf side of Tiki.
Its not all tiki accessible.
there is some surf stuff I just won't play when DJing.
I try to play the more laid back surf.
with Exotic overtones.

I try to shy away from the Garagy surf.
that relies heavily on R&B and and 1 4 5 progressions.

I also like to play Tahitian and other Island Music.

I also love traditional Slack Key Hawaiian music.
that is one genre that many people here don't discuss.
and the Huge Slack Key Fest. in Redondo Beach(sold Out)
was hardly attended by any tiki central people.
Sad in my book.

Jeff(btd)

On 2010-04-02 09:52, ikitnrev wrote:

The wild imagery of "taking a virgin hula girl and sacrificing her to the volcano God" is definitely part of the 'Pele as Goddess' exotica - why else would Arthur Lyman place photos of erupting and flowing lava on his LP covers?

But you can't go and and keep on throwing virgins into the volcano - it would get old after a while, and you don't want to be slave to a God who demands 'round the clock 24 hours a day' sacrifices. You would tire, and need to relax, and when you go back to your beach hut, you want to relax, sip a cocktail, and put your arms around the hula girls you did not sacrifice. (Sipping, and having the time to sip, is a luxury - gulping implies you are overthirsted, or need to be elsewhere as soon as possible.)

Maybe exotica is a bit unusual in that it allows for a wide range of expression - from the frantic flurry of the tribal drums pounding in unison, to the soft sounds of someone blowing a conch shell way off in the distance. The ratio tends to definitely focus on the quieter, more melodic elements, but does allow for that sliver of wildness to appear.

Maybe that is a bit of what tiki exotica is - it is the illusion of living in paradise, but with some sense of danger - perhaps the eruption of Pele - that could drastically change things. Yes, you may be in Paradise, but echoes of the WW2 past might still be heard in the distance, or rumblings of volcano tremors felt underfoot, or a Hukilau hurricane may approaching over the horizon. But that danger isn't used as a reason to fear or panic, but more as a reminder for you to enjoy even more the pleasures that are placed in front of you.

Exotica isn't just a series of pleasant musical notes - it is also the imagery associated with it.

When I think of the punk, I think of a more-or-less constant stream of loud and fast and very energetic music in an urban setting - music that I listened to a lot when I was younger, but definitely not exotica. Surf and rockabilly are placed much lower on the musical intensity scale, but I still mainly picture them as more energetic music - the first thing I think of is beach twist dance parties, or street hot rod racing after midnight. While people in the rockabilly and swing cultures do relax, that relaxation is not their core image.

The wild sliver of danger influence is important, and may be why the punk and rockabilly crowds have embraced the modern tiki revival - tiki and exotica isn't a pure calm, it's not just our grandparents falling asleep around the poolside as quiet Hawaiian-influenced jazz is played, its not simply feel-good Jimmy Buffet sing-alongs, or a steady monotony of mellow steel-drums. With exotica, there is a sense that things could get wild at any moment (Esquivel!) That wild explosion may or may not happen - but it is there.

The ex-punk/rockabilly crowds may have been attracted to the tiki/exotica scene because it was a genre of music that had mostly been abandoned by the elders. The tiki room was there, empty, vacant, and unappreciated, the imagery was there, waiting to be rediscovered. It may have been perfect timing - the aging punkers and rockabilly crowd, looking for a quiter setting for themseleves as they grew older, that would still allow them to mellow out a bit, but still retian a sense of wildness -- and they claimed the imagery, embraced the scene, and were and are a critical element in its revival.

Vern

Wow! Good post!

Or put more simply, aging Punks/Goths/Rockabillies/Metal-heads/etc. just need another tribe where we won't look like idiots with our greying/loss of hair, wrinkles, expanding waistlines, and excessive drinking. Let's face it, AARP just ain't cool enough for hep people like us. (Don't laugh, anyone old enough to have faint childhood memories of mid-century Tiki has got to be nearing that point.)

Works for me. :D

Guys, I'm getting a real tiki music edumacation here. Great thread, keep it up :)

To me tiki is Martin Denny and Les Baxter style exotica, traditional Hawaiian music, and traditional early 60's style surf music. There is some modern surf music that works for me as well. Although rockabilly, punk, swing, and Euro instro rock get mixed in with tiki, they don't work for me personally (although I like those styles of music a lot - I just use different glassware and drink different beverages when listening to it).

Sean
Double Crown Records
http://www.doublecrownrecords.com

This post is giving me a headache..lol..as often is the case where we try to define something..:) A lot of guys have WAY diferent opinions as to what constitues "tiki" music from mine, but that's cool....just stay away from my ipod.

I'll just give you my own PERSONAL opinion of what you'll find in my "tiki music" playlist...

1. Hawaiian/Hapa Haole (whether native origin or not)....This would include steel guitar, hula music, hotel lounge acts...NOT contemporary/Jawaiian/reggae (although it wouldn't really be out of place, I just don't like it)
2. Classic exotica...Martin Denny, Lyman, Drasmin, Hunter,Sumac etc, plus current groups recording IN THAT STYLE..Tikiyaki Orch, etc.
3. Classic Latin..the old mambo, cha cha, merengue stuff..Tito Puente, etc. May include some
   Caribbean music as well, but OLD and not reggae. (Think old limbo records, Maya Angelo Sings Calypso, etc)
4. Can include old "Orientalized" pop lps...like "East of Java" by Warren Mueller's Orchestra, or any number of "Japan Goes Latin" type music.

The whole punk/rockabiliy, hot rod tiki connection just personally escapes me. I don't feel it all personally.
That's MY tiki music...a 1950s-70s Tropical/Hawaiian/Asian/West Indies/Not Really Sure What Island You're On vacation vibe..:)

Fun topic. Everyone here makes eloquent points and I find myself agreeing with almost all of it.

I agree with bigbro's assertion that Exotica Music is the most perfect complement to the 1960s Tiki Bar, (even if hapa haole was more often played there), because Tiki Bars (home and public) and Exotica Music are the logical culmination of Exotic atmosphere taken to the nth degree.

From the 1930s to the 1960s, the South Seas bar expanded for all it was worth, (with an afterburner kicked-in sometime in the 1950s). Tapa was added to bamboo. Puffers were added to fish-float lamps, then beachcomber lamps evolved in all shapes and sizes till they filled the cielings. Fake rainstorms, waterfalls, volcanoes, and palm trees were invented for atmosphere. Tiki gods and canoes and native art proliferated until they filled every empty space. Every handrail and post was carved with tribal patterns. The servers' costumes became more and more risque' as they pushed the role of "waitress" towards that of "naked wahine". The tiki bar reached saturation some time in the mid 1960s.

Exotica music evolved from Hawaiian and Movie music similarly until it too was dense and saturated with tropical nuance. There wasn't much more room for either genre to grow "more exotic". Like a dinosaur that becomes an evolutionary dead-end, Exotica music grew perfectly suited to its niche environment. When the cultural climate changed, it died-off fairly quickly because it's not a robust, adaptable form of music. But put it back in a home Tiki Bar or a hidden microclimate like the Mai Kai, and it thrives again.

I see Exotica music as an orchid that's been hybridized by man until it becomes a beautiful freak of nature that can't survive outside of the hothouse. Lots of other musical styles like surf, jazz, rockabilly, etc. fit well in a tiki bar, but Exotica music seems to be the only one that thrives there and wilts when it's uprooted to another environment.

I know that's a general statement and an opinion. Some folks here like listening to Exotica music any time of day, in the office, or in the car, but I think they (and sometimes me) are a minority.

I like aquarj's classifications of tiki music according to it's context.

I am no tiki-music purist and like testing out other musical styles to see which ones also fit in my home tiki bar. I had an epiphany, for instance, when I played a Fats Waller collection of 1920s jazz during a tiki party and discovered how well it enhanced the atmosphere.

[ Edited by: Sabu The Coconut Boy 2010-04-02 17:48 ]

Great post Tim. Vern too! Both really good!!!

On 2010-04-02 16:45, Sabu The Coconut Boy wrote:

Exotica music evolved from Hawaiian and Movie music similarly until it too was dense and saturated with tropical nuance. There wasn't much more room for either genre to grow "more exotic". Like a dinosaur that becomes an evolutionary dead-end, Exotica music grew perfectly suited to its niche environment. When the cultural climate changed, it died-off fairly quickly because it's not a robust, adaptable form of music. But put it back in a home Tiki Bar or a hidden microclimate like the Mai Kai, and it thrives again.

I see Exotica music as an orchid that's been hybridized by man until it becomes a beautiful freak of nature that can't survive outside of the hothouse. Lots of other musical styles like surf, jazz, rockabilly, etc. fit well in a tiki bar, but Exotica music seems to be the only one that thrives there and wilts when it's uprooted to another environment.

Wow, if that assessment doesn't hit the nail on the head, I don't know what does.
The Original Exotica Music was so specific and tied to the Polynesian Pop/Tiki Bar craze heyday (loosely 1959-63) that it really couldn't exist outside it's environment. Martin Denny himself described his music as "window dressing", so it really was part of the decor, so to speak, just like a pufferfish lamp, a giant tiki, or jade tiles strung up between bamboo. It was part of the overall ambiance...

Perhaps the fact that it had no lyrics was part of the equation too....no lyrics , means you can't sing along, or relate to the music on any sort of ideological level...it was just a soothing sound to set the mood...and that's what Denny and Lyman did....set the mood.....so the listener had a sort of mild detachment to it, and it became more of a subconscious thing....or "vibe" as we call it today.

As for what Tiki Music is now....I think that the initial idea is still important....a relaxing vibe, AND some sort of Tiki imagery in the cover art and aesthetics... but now it encompasses all musical food groups from that era...lounge, hawaiian, hapa haole, exotica proper, surf, rockabilly....in a word "retro" culture. My tiki playist includes Herb Alpert, Esquivel, The Blue Hawaiians, as well as the Exotica classics.

Here are some of the things that signify music as "tiki music" to ME....

STEEL GUITAR - not pedal steel, but lap steel in the western swing/ hawaiian tuning.
VIBES - instantly gives you that tiki (no pun intended) vibe
Bongos/Congas - jungle percussion
Reverby surf guitar...sorry, but to me, a nice reverb drenched guitar with tremolo invokes that feeling...of course, if the music is too aggressive....less so.

Anyway, those are some of the musical food groups that I felt were necessary in making tiki music, so that's what you have in the Tikiyaki Orchestra.
And, tho' alot of folks will say we're not a "true" exotica band I'll argue otherwise, only that true exotica sound is only PART of what we do...which is maybe why the band has had a fair amount of success, because we hit a few different musical genres, from a wider time period.
I just drew from a wider palette, because it all invoked that tropical, exotic feeling to me...

The good news is that, a band like Tikiyaki, can play an event with a band like the Hula Girls, The Intoxicators, the Eliminators, or the Smokin' Menehunes and it works.

Just think how boring Tiki Oasis or Hukilau it would be, if we all sounded like Arthur Lyman.

Variety is the spice of life...a necessary ingredient to keep things exciting.

[ Edited by: tikiyaki 2010-04-02 22:29 ]

Amen Jim,

can't wait to see you guys at the upcoming "TIKI EVENTS"

Jeff(btd)

I too liked Sabu's definition of exotica, but I think the music evolved from far more than Hawaiian and film music.

Exoticism had existed in music and literature at least by the 1800s, if not before.

There had been examples of proto-exotica in classical music (Rite of Spring), light music (Lotus Land), jazz (Caravan, NIght in Tunisia), pop (Moon of Manakoora, Moonlight on the Ganges), and dozens and dozens of film scores (The Jungle Book, King Kong, the Letter, etc.). The popularity in the US of latin music, beginning with Cugat in the 1930s, and then advent of Latin jazz with Dizzy, Machito, and others also were part of the larger trend.

The genius of Les Baxter and to a lesser extent Martin Denny was that they recognized the general interest, and then pulled all these different threads together into a codified genre. The fact that their trajectories coincided with hi-fi recording and the LP era also played a huge role.

As for what defines "tiki music," I would say anything that goes well with a rum drink, which includes a lot more than exotica. :wink:

[ Edited by: OnyaBirri 2010-04-03 14:21 ]

[ Edited by: lucas vigor 2016-09-23 12:58 ]

My favorite proto-exotica classical work is Ginastera's ballet "Panambi." it is available both as a suite and in its full length, about 40 minutes. Imagine if Debussy had composed "The Rite of Spring" and that will give you an idea.

Other examples from classical music include:

Antill - Corroboree
Revueltas - Night of the Mayas
Slavinsky - Sinfonia Orienta
Prokofiev - Scythian Suite
Villa Lobos - Nonetto and Quator

Those two Villa Lobos pieces almost sound like prototypes for some of Les's minimalist stuff like "Mozambique." I have never seen a citation where these were mentioned as influencing Les, but I'm sure he must have studied these.

[ Edited by: OnyaBirri 2010-04-03 07:44 ]

I am going to have to check out the Ginastera...as to the Scythian suite...I don't know, that is one of the more scarier sounding songs ever written...in particular, the first movement is frightening sounding....by the time you hit the "Enemy God Dances with the Black Sprits" section, you are ready to run screaming.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8Y1lLfVzy8

it's one of my personal favorites (But then again, I am a nut who loves Bartok, Schoenberg, Webern, Ives and Shostakovich)

One recent discovery that I have gotten into is William Grant Still, the first major African american composer. His tone poem "Africa" is something worthy of checking out (On Naxos label) as it is also proto-exotica, with some hidden elements of Jazz.

Here is his "african American Symphony"It even has the original version of Gershwin's "I've got Rythem" in it, which arguably, Grant Still may have written.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PB6K8PiecgI

Another one that is really good is Grofe: Grand Canyon Suite! Especially, "The painted Desert" section.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZac9hvvEJg&feature=related

You can tell by listening what a huge influence it was on Disney. He even used a portion of "On the trail" section in the diorama in the train ride (The horse hoof's music you hear at the beginning)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYXMr17Xn0w&feature=related

But a lot of what Grofe did was was really exotic sounding, like his "Death Valley suite".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7PnmOKCako

Olivier Messiaen had some really exotic stuff, such as "Turangulia",

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=170VZGFoTKg

and boy was he into bird calls! of course, they are not actual bird calls, but the same "melodies" played by instruments.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMG07mv4Jyw&feature=related

Aaron Copland had the famous "Appalachian suite", and again, while not strictly exotic, was more or less a huge influence on later Baxter (The pop standards and movie themes he did)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RXLwtvGH9c

Not for everyone is Varese, who also had some very exotic sounding stuff, like the flute solo "density".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcIXuwLFTOw&feature=related

But when you see it done on vibes....ha!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnh_VT6JIZQ&feature=related

John Cage did "sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano", where he inserted various objects into the piano and between the strings (Nails, rubber, etc) and it actually made the piano in turns sound like a Gamelan, marimba or even vibraphone. This was between 1946 and 1948 so I have to wonder how influencial it might have been at the time on other artists.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYsx5Di3bso

[ Edited by: lucas vigor 2010-04-03 10:06 ]

Nice post Lucas, not really familiar with the selections but I do see the
"proto-exotica" element. Very educational.

I conducted a far less scholarly study of my own last night with a few
people enjoying cocktails in the Conga Lounge.
Played some classic exotica and asked people to offer their first "visual"
impressions...the images that the music helped create. The exotica spurred images
of islands...hula girls...mystery...temptation...sacrifice...all the good things
about the "tiki" illusion.

Then we tried some classic Sun rockabilly...which conjured up images of
cars...fuzzy dice....girls (the great thing about music...you can always think
about girls) hot rod art...cars....girls....and cars. And cigarette packs in
rolled up sleeves.

If music does not inspire "tiki/exotic" images in the mind....can it be "tiki"
music?

And of course, some songs that are not usually considered exotica, but actually are..

Sounds of Hatari:

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

The Jungle Book Overture

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

Since peopl are "going there" with this post including the 100% valid issue of classical music preceeding anything "tiki pop"...I would put forward that in order to understand "exotica" or "tiki" anything, thr spring it issues forth from is really later-day pop version of the "orientalism" of the preceeding century...at least conceptully..the Westerner looking East and commenting, creating art & music based on their own cultural interpretation.
All these classical pieces are completely at home with exotica music to me....I am STILL waiting for someone to do a very exotic or steel arrangement of "Arab Dance" from the Nutcracker suite...seems a natural to me..:)

Arab Dance is a good one...but this one, Chinese dance, seems to fit better. Almost Esquivel-ish!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hez9DLgZA7o&feature=related

Bela Bartok even got in the game with "the miraculous mandarin"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9m1Ysa2Zfs

On 2010-04-03 10:18, lucas vigor wrote:
And of course, some songs that are not usually considered exotica, but actually are..

Sounds of Hatari:

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

Hatari , Yes !! More significant to me for "Baby Elephant Walk"…..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tN2xQ2zqmCI

I can understand how most people's Tiki escapism takes them to far-away tropical paradises. Certainly that was the major appeal of Tiki in the late 1950's and early 1960's. These days however it takes less time to fly to Honolulu from Los Angeles than it takes to drive to San Francisco.

Having traveled regularly to the Hawaiian islands as well as Fiji and Micronesia, the "exotic" appeal of Tiki is different for me. My Tiki escapism is a time machine straight back to the days when JFK was in the White House (or shortly thereafter). To me, there's nothing better than enjoying a Tropical cocktail in an authentic mid-century Tiki bar which is pretty much unchanged from that time period.

The soundtrack is an important part of this experience. Good Exotica is timeless, and sounds as contemporary today as it did 50 years ago. That's all well and good but sometimes I like to hear popular music vocals that unquestionably date that time.

I'm talking about adult listening sounds like Las Vegas Swing music (Rat Pack, Louis Prima, Keely Smith, Wayne Newton) or the sounds of Burt Bacharach (Dionne Warwick, Tom Jones, Gene Pitney, Dusty Springfield).

OK, maybe it's not "Tiki Music" per se but I might argue this is what they regularly played on the local suburban neighborhood Tiki bar jukebox. It's mid-century Tiki BAR music. :)

(Also Lucas, you're flying so far over my head right now, I can't even hear the plane.)

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2010-04-03 14:22 ]

Then this is for you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bo3tpvTKfc