BYTE MARKS
Tiki culture everywhere on the Web

By Burt Lum

The word "tiki" has its origins in the Marquesas and Aotearoa (New Zealand). In Hawaiian, the word is "ki'i."

A tiki is a carved statue, usually of a god or warrior.

As such, it was used originally as a symbol of worship, guardianship, and perhaps protection, as it was on Rapa Nui (Easter Island).

In the 1950s and '60s, tiki found their way into pop culture in the form of tiki bars. Remember Coco's, now the site of a Hard Rock Café?

Back in the kitschy '60s, the tiki scene was a kooky blend of Polynesia, bad Hollywood set design and the music of Martin Denny and Arthur Lyman.

Termed exotica, the music pulsated with primal rhythms and signature bird calls, creating a tropical atmosphere.

The '60s have come and gone, but the sound continues with bands such as Don Tiki (www.dontiki.com) that continue to carry the torch for the lounge craze.

The band is an ensemble of extraordinary musicians, exotic dancers and tongue-in-cheek stage antics. Their performance Saturday at the Hawai'i Theater is a rare appearance that shouldn't be missed.

Other places to find the tiki torch fires burning: Tucked away, deep in the bowels of the Sand Island industrial zone, restaurant bars such as La Mariana Sailing Club serve up the tiki atmosphere.

In the physical world, your servings of lounge music are taken in small, albeit intense, doses. On the Internet it can be an endless stream.

Jerome Coudrier makes a business of selling tiki on eBay from his site at www.tikimaster.com.

But that is just the tip of the tiki, so to speak.

As I scoured the Internet for links, I ran across the Tiki News (www.tikinews.com). The artwork announcing Tiki Oasis 2004, a

California event, is indicative of the wacky fun tiki bring out in people. It's a cross between Polynesia, "The Jetsons" and "Lost in Space."

Don't stop there; go to www.tikiwonder.com and www.bookoftiki.com to see what I mean by an endless stream.

Reach Burt Lum at www.brouhaha.net.