by Randy Wong

Tiki is an umbrella term that generally represents an era of exotic Polynesian-inspired food, drink, fashion, and design that began in America, circa 1950-1970. Its mid-century, post-World War II peak paralleled the Baby Boom and the economic prosperity of the time. Establishments like Trader Vic’s, Don the Beachcomber, and the Mai Kai were held high amongst celebrities and politicians—one way of understanding the tiki craze is by comparing it to modern sushi bars: vogue, fresh, and exotic.

Tiki (or Polynesian Pop) is a design aesthetic that symbolizes an idealized way of life. The concept of Tiki conjures up romantic fantasies of tropical islands, exotic cultures, and easy living on a far-off Polynesian island. It is important to remember that Polynesian Pop is not meant to be disrespectful to the peoples of the Pacific.

—James Teitelbaum, Author of Tiki Road Trip (p. 10)

Exotica: The Music Behind Tiki

Simply, Exotica is the music that drove the tiki phenomenon. A genre all of its own, its creation is often attributed to a musician named Martin Denny, who settled in Hawaii during WWII—though earlier musicians (e.g. Les Baxter, Hugo Winterhalter) were already writing their own exotic music.

However it was Martin Denny’s approach, meant to capture the essence of living on a breezy tropical island, that became most popular with landlocked listeners from the Mainland U.S. and Europe—and codified the music as its own genre. (As legend has it, his record producer mistakenly added the letter ‘a’ to “exotic” and hence the genre name was born). Denny found the formula for success: his original compositions and exotic arrangements of standards were immediately enticing. James A. Michener (author of Tales of the South Pacific) described Denny’s music as “Music to see and feel, forcing the listener to create his own word pictures.” In fact, Denny’s work was revered by fellow musicians too. Ferde Grofé, the original arranger of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, once remarked, “[Denny's] arrangements and percussive effects are superb and produce a fullness of sound comparable to an orchestra.”

What really brought Denny’s music to life were the members of his band: Arthur Lyman (vibraphone and percussion; later replaced by Julius Wechter), Augie Colon (percussion and bird calls), Harold Chang (drums), and others were able to interpret Denny’s ideas with sparkling and vivid displays of color, virtuosity, and mysteriousness.

[Their] ability to extract the essence of a large work and express it vividly with a small group indicates tremendous skill and versatility.

—Les Baxter, composer of “Quiet Village” and countless other Exotica hits

For much of the 1970s, 80s, and early 90s, Exotica was nearly a lost art form; though some musicians followed in Denny’s footsteps, the music was for the most part never performed live. An Exotica renaissance began in the mid-90s with Don Tiki and Combustible Edison. In 2003, Abe Lagrimas Jr. and Randy Wong decided to catch this wave with the formation of WAITIKI. (Incidentally, Abe and Lopaka began their Exotica careers with the Don Tiki show; Brother Cleve—keyboardist for Combustible Edison—serves as Production Consultant for W7).

You may also be interested in the Exoticology 101 Blog which discusses influences from classical, jazz, and other music.

Tiki Bars

Understanding the tiki pop culture requires a lot of hepatic fortitude—thanks to the likes of Donn Beach, Victor Bergeron, Mariano Licudine, Ray Buhen, and their modern-day counterparts Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, Brother Cleve, John Gertsen, Matt Thatcher, and others!

A long legacy of entrepreneurs have spent most of the 20h century trying to create an approximation of [an exotic tiki island] for those of us who remain landlocked on the mainland . . .

—James Teitelbaum, Tiki Road Trip (p. 11)

From the first trans-Pacific ships and flights came a world previously unbeknownst to Westerners. Teitelbaum writes,

Journeys to exotic South Seas destinations became the rage for the well-to-do. Around 1915, a major fad for Hawaiian music and ukuleles made it to the mainland. New bars and nightclubs began to pop up everywhere, many of them attempted to capture a South Seas flavor” (Ibid).

By the 1950s, Tiki was a bona fide national phenomenon, with several lush and mysterious Tiki taverns, nightclubs, and restaurants opening up in just about every town in America. The suburban savage in Yourtown, U.S.A. was right there, lapping it all up—and hungry for more. (Teitelbaum 12)

It was in those tiki bars and restaurants (painstakingly and lovingly chronicled in Teitelbaum’s book Tiki Road Trip) that tiki cocktails were born and revered.

In addition to James’s book, we recommend you visit Critiki.com, an online community-driven database with reviews of tiki establishments across the globe.

Tiki Cocktails (a.k.a. “Faux Tropicals”)

Chances are, you’ve had a tiki cocktail. Some of the most famous are the Mai Tai, the Zombie, the Shrunken Skull, and arguably, the Hot Buttered Rum. All have a base of one or more specific rums; it is this mix of rums that typically gives each drink its unique taste, in addition to freshly-squeezed fruit juices and homemade syrups. Whether or not you’ve had an authentically made tiki cocktail is another story. In his book Sippin’ Safari, mixologist and tiki cocktail historian Jeff “Beachbum” Berry sadly reports:

What was posh in the post-war era became passéby the post-modern. During the 1980s, exotic cocktails vanished along with the stately [tiki establishments] that offered them. Faux tropicals have now largely been consigned to chain restaurant hell, where syrupy slush is slopped into supersized vessels; this sad state of affairs persists even in the midst of today’s revitalized international cocktail scene, whose arbiters routinely dismiss faux tropicals as mere variations on the Daiquiri.

—Jeff Berry, Sippin’ Safari, p. 8

For more information about tiki cocktails, we recommend you pick up Jeff’s book or visit his website!