Two articles worth reading

Tiki Tabu Apartments, 3505 Artesia Blvd., Torrance, 1965.

Go read architect/author/histiran/architectural-guru Alan Hess' fine article, "Long Live Tiki, the Whimsical Soul of Midcentury Modern," on the Getty Museum's Iris online magazine. (Click here for link.) Alan writes, "...Tiki had something in common with Southern California Modernist luminaries: where Ray and Charles Eames showed us whimsy, color, and history, Tiki also showed us whimsy, color and history." He concludes, "Tiki satisfies a need that German architecture pioneer Walter Gropius could not have imagined." If those two lines don't get you to read the rest of the article, then you're on the wrong blog.

Speaking of good articles, also check out Jonpaul Balak's article about essential Exotica LP's in the new Spring 2013 issue of Tiki Magazine. I wish I'd had that article when I started collecting! (And no, Jonpaul's article is not online -- You'll have to actually buy a copy on dead tree. Remember paper?)

Draining the Sleepy Lagoon

May 9, 2013 was a bad day for tiki fans. Not only did it turn out to be the one-day-earlier-than-expected last day of the Bahooka, it also saw the last post at The Sleepy Lagoon. Since 2009, "Musik-Kurier" of Berlin has been posting digital version of great but often little-known Mid-Century exotica LPs on his Sleepy Lagoon blog. It was an outstanding way to discover artists that might otherwise has slipped under our radar.

In a recent post on Tiki Central, Musik-Kurier wrote, "Since 2009, I've run 'The Sleepy Lagoon'-Blog. I think now it's time to introduce the blog to Tiki Central. It's a music-blog for Exotica and related music. I offer already more than 100 posts with the possibility to listen to complete albums direct on the website... I don't make many words in my posts, also because English is not my mother tongue... The motto is Pure Music, from me to you. Enjoy... and let me know what you think about it."

Personally, I think it was great. In fact, at least a fourth of the tracks currently on my MP3 player can be directly or indirectly traced back to discoveries I made at The Sleepy Lagoon. These include rare tracks from the likes of Alex Keack, Axel Stordahl, Don Ralke, Ethel Azama, Gene Rains, George Cates, Jimmy Namaro Trio, John McFarland, Johnny Spencer and the Kona Koasters, Rex Kona, Stanley Black, Ted Auletta, The Shangaans, and one of my favorite new exotica groups, Ìxtahuele.

The Sleepy Lagoon led me not only to listen to its posted (generally long-out-of-print) albums, but also increased my downloadable music purchases on Amazon exponentially as I searched for additional albums by the best artists.

Musik-Kurier's last post, yesterday, was titled simply "THE END," and read as follows: "Divshare closed my account and all files and playlists are deleted. I thank everybody for the attention in the last four years. Aloha!" It was followed by a long string of well-wishes and farewells from regular readers.

We can only assume that this shut-down is another example of the recording industry shooting itself in the foot -- discouraging sales of albums that haven't been in demand since the 1960s. One can only wonder what other musical horizons would have been opened to modern exotica fans had The Sleepy Lagoon been allowed to continue.

Bahooka bazooka-ed

 Our friend Chris Nicols at Los Angeles Magazine writes, that the Bahooka restaurant in Rosemead, California, "will close its doors on March 10th after 46 years in business." (See his full article for details.) Asked if there was any chance of it being saved, Sven Kirsten (the man with his finger on the pulse of all things tiki) writes, "Sorry, but it's gonna be a goner, for sure. And there's nuthin' we can do about it."

"Is that Tiki?"

Click through to watch the complete Oceanic Arts episode of Huell Howser's Visiting. Sadly, Huell passed away earlier this week. The photos on today's post show him with OA owners Leroy Schmaltz (above) and Bob Van Oosting.

Mele Kalikimaka!

Quiet Night, Aloha Night

 

Does a holiday known for snow and ice mix well with white sands and palm trees? I believe it does. Christmastime is sneaking up on us again, and I've been filling up my MP3 player with tiki-appropriate holiday music. I've waded through a lot of junk to come up with a few gems, and I thought I'd share the best of what I found (so far) here on the blog.

Arthur Lyman's "Merry Christmas (Mele Kalikimaka)," from 1959, is a solid choice. Some tracks aren't quite as Exotica-infused as you'd expect, but others seem a perfect hybrid of Hawaii and the holidays. But you can never go too far wrong with Lyman at the helm. His take on "Winter Wonderland," may, in fact, be the best example of Christmas Exotica ever created. This album has also been re-released on CD as "With A Christmas Vibe," (with a fetching wahine on the cover,) but some find the re-editing on that version a little off-putting. I'd suggest sticking with versions of the album featuring the green (shown above) or silver "Christmas present" covers, which are essentially the original album without significant tinkering.

For straightforward hapa haole Christmas music, try Christmas In Hawaii by country music legend turned Hawaiian steel guitar revivalist Jerry Bird. (Some of you may already know Byrd from his take on the theme to "Adventures in Paradise.") This is fine instrumental background music, featuring holiday standards tasetefully rendered in ukulele, steel guitar, etc., along with a smattering of songs specifically written to evoke Christmas in the islands. I'm told this is a 2003 release, but it's pretty timeless.

Two specific tracks essential for your Tiki Christmas mix can be found on Christmas Cocktails, Part 2, which is part of the now-classic Ultra-Lounge series of compilations from Capitol Records. (Yes, the series was revived recently in the form of new digital downloads, but the new incarnation doesn't measure up.) Notably, Christmas Cocktails, Part 2 features "Christmas Island" by Bob Atcher and the Dinning Sisters (kitschy, but fun), and "Exotic Night," which was Martin Denny's take on the traditional "Greensleeves"/"What Child Is This?" -- complete with his usual orchestration style and semi-exotic instrumentation, but happily without his usual bird calls. It's not one of Denny's best, but it's probably mandatory for any self-respecting list of tiki-fied Christmas songs.

I'd also like to point out a few individual songs that fit in well with this mix. "We Four Kings," by the Blue Hawaiians (from their album Christmas on the Big Island) is a successful mashup of the carol "We Three Kings" with the Pyramids' instrumental surf-rock classic, "Penetration." In a similar retro surf rock vein is King of Hawaii's take on "Greensleeves" (from the album Mele Kalikimaka). Normally I'm not a big fan of mixing surf rock with tracks from the likes of Arthur Lyman and Martin Denny -- But I think these are two exceptions that work pretty well. But maybe that's just the eggnog talking.

And finally, what would a pseudo-Hawaiian-style Christmas be without Bing Crosby's classic version of "Mele Kalikimaka," from his Merry Christmas (now renamed White Christmas) album? Der Bingle has been making people dream about spending the holidays in paradise since 1945!

I hope this helps give you a jump start on your aloha holiday listening this year.
By the way, I'll probably be at the International Tiki Marketplace event at Don the Beachcombers' in Huntington Beach, California this Sunday, Dec. 2nd. It will run from 11am to 4pm, and there will be live entertainment and over 30 vendors of all things tiki. If you see me, stop me and say hello.

Arthur K. Snyder (1932-2012)

Don the Beachcomber in Huntington Beach/Sunset Beach, California just posted the following:

"We are saddened to bring such news, but this morning Arthur Snyder passed away in his sleep at 79 years old. He was a United States Marine, a USC Law Graduate, a politician, a restauranteur, but most importantly, a dedicated husband, father, and grandfather. He will leave a legacy for ages to come but what he left in everyone's hearts will last a lifetime. Burial information will be posted soon. We will be holding a celebration of his life this Saturday at Don the Beachcomber in the Longboard Room from 3pm - 8pm. For more information please email info@donthebeachcomber.com. We ask that during this time of grieving you do not try to contact the family or staff at Don the Beachcomber. More information will be posted shortly."

Sad and shocking news, indeed. Art was a significant and charming personality in the recent chapters of the tiki revival. He and his wife, Delia, have done amazing things in a very short time with the former Sam's Seafood, somehow restoring and preserving one of the last palaces of tiki (Sam's) while simultaneously creating a whole new one (Don's) at the same location.

Art with Holden Westland of Tiki Farm last June at Don's.

Art was born in Los Angeles in 1932 and went to school there all the way up through his law degree from USC. He was clearly never afraid to try a new line of work, and over his lifetime he was everything from a ditch digger, to a private investigator, to a PR man, to a lawyer, to a legal officer in the U.S. Marines, to a politician -- serving from 1967 to 1985 on the Los Angeles City Council. I knew him only in his last incarnation: Genial restauranteur and stand-in for the legendary Donn Beach.

A few months ago, Art took me on a personal tour of Don's, including the legendary basement, which features a mysterious tunnel leading toward the lagoons behind the property. Art said the basement was haunted, and asked that I be respectful and not too noisy. He also asked that I NOT take photographs, which was a far more difficult assignment. In any case, it was an interesting look at what was undoubtedly a smuggling tunnel back when brothers Sam and George Arvenitis owned the place. (No connection to Prohibition, however, since nothing was built on the property until the 1940s.) Anyway, Art was interested that I was a historian and that I'd already done a bunch of research on Sam's. I, in turn, was very grateful for the tour and information he shared with me.

Art with members of the O.C. Historical Society's board, planning a luau over mai tais.

A couple years ago, Art also helped me (and the rest of the Orange County Historical Society) plan a big luau event for the "Hidden Village" room at Don's. The event was a huge success and the place was packed right up to the fire marshall's limit. At our planning meeting, Art unexpectedly picked up the tab for our dinners. Sure, it was an investment in a larger business opportunity -- But it was something he clearly didn't have to do to clinch the deal. It was just the sort of generous gesture I later came to know as Art's "standard operating procedure": Going the extra mile for customers.

Art's funeral will be held Wed., Nov. 14, 9am, at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, 6300 Forest Lawn Dr., Los Angeles. (Drive to Old North Church once inside the cemetery.) Reception following interment at the Hall of Liberty. In lieu of flowers, his family asks that you consider making a donation in Art's name to: Solheim Lutheran Home in Los Angeles.

Mahalo for being a great host, Art, and for all you've done to keep tiki alive and well. A lot of people are very grateful.