If this holds true for anyone, it would be true for Sammie Marie. Sammie is the manager of a WW2 memorabilia shop called The War Front. She owns several WW2 uniforms and is also a pinup model. What’s her favorite era, the 40’s! Sammie has an in-depth knowledge of WW2 and I’ve learned a ton of information about WW2’s influence on the popularity of Tiki. Here is Sammie’s story…
Hey Gang! I would like you to meet Nadia Reddy. She wrote and illustrated the first Tiki children’s picture book ever! It’s called Tiki ABC. The story is simple, Nadia wanted a children’s Tiki picture to read to her baby. She searched around and found that none existed, so she wrote her own. I love that! If you want something and it doesn’t exist, create it yourself. Here is Nadia’s story…
If you live in Seattle and have spent some time at Rumba or The Diller Room you have seen Tony Canepa’s artwork. It’s truly beautiful! Tony used to live in Seattle but has since moved down to Austin Texas. It sounds like there isn’t much Tiki going on down there but maybe Tony’s tiki art will give someone inspiration to build something great! Here is Tony’s story…
I do! These were paintings of children with big heads with even bigger eyes and I remember seeing them everywhere when I was kid. The artist’s name was Margaret Keane and her paintings were quite cute.
When I first saw Christine Benjamin’s art, it reminded me of Keane’s paintings, which at the same time reminded me of my childhood! I know I’m not the only one who has been moved this way by Christine’s art. Here is Christine’s story…
Tiki history is being made right now as I type this!
It’s exciting to be riding the third wave of Tiki and when people write about the history of Polynesian Pop twenty years down the road, another name will be added to the list along with Gantt and Bergeron. That name is Cate.
Martin and Rebecca Cate are behind the quintessential Tiki bar: Smuggler’s Cove located in San Francisco. They are writing the new rules on how Tiki should be and the proof is in the success of any bar the Cates have been involved with. This list includes Hale Pele in Portland and False Idol in San Diego. The Cates wrote the book Smuggler’s Cove and it’s the Alpha and Omega of Tiki. It talks about the history of Tiki, what’s going on now, and where Tiki is going. I don’t think I have tell you that this book is required reading for all Tikiphiles! Rebecca Cate is the woman behind all this Tiki awesomeness and here is her story…
“Fashion isn’t an island; it’s a response” –Amanda Hallay
No truer words spoken.
I’m always keeping an eye open for anything Tiki related, TV news spotlights, magazine articles, or even random videos on YouTube. I check it all out! I stumbled upon this video. It’s called Fashion and The Tiki Craze.
Fashion And The Tiki Craze
The video itself was just still pictures, but what was being said what spot-on Tiki history! This video wasn’t just talking about why people wore aloha shirts or sarongs, it was explaining how the events of the era created the Tiki craze. I would say this is required viewing for anyone interested in learning about the history of Tiki.
I was so impressed with the Tiki video that I went ahead and checked out another video. I clicked on a video talking about ’50s fashion and it was so engaging that I went ahead to the ’60s fashion video, then the ’70s. These videos are over an hour long and I watched them all in one evening. I couldn’t stop. I was learning history through fashion! The woman behind the Ultimate Fashion History Channel is Amanda Hallay and I knew she needed to be a Tiki VIP. Here is her story…
Pick an avenue that will make you money if you want to stay in the arts…
These are wise words from Sara Yasmin Shishegar’s father. Sara listened and did just that! She started Sweet Siren Designs. Sweet Siren Designs combines all of Sara’s lifelong interests like mermaids, the sea, monsters, and of course, Tiki! I’ll let Sara tell you what Sweet Siren Designs is all about…
When I first saw Joshua Head’s work, I couldn’t believe the detail. Everything is fine lined and the more you look into his work, the more you see. Joshua is located in Melbourne, Australia where sadly at this point, there isn’t much of a Tiki scene going on. With the help of Joshua’s Tiki art, that might change! Here is Joshua Head’s story…
When Disneyland opened it’s own Tiki bar, Trader Sam’s, it was a safe assumption that the décor would be dialed-in. Escapism is what Disney does best! But what about the drinks? Thankfully, Trader Sam’s has Kelly Merrell. Kelly was there at the beginning of Trader Sam’s and he brought his cocktail making skills with him. Here is Kelly’s story…
I’ll never the forget the first time I set foot in Tacoma Cabana.
Standing behind the bar was this dude wearing an Aloha shirt and fez on his head. I didn’t know anything about this guy, but he had a presence to him that made him really stand out. Without saying a word, the message was clear: I’m here to make Tiki cocktails and trust me, they will blow you away. This man was and is Jason Alexander. He is the owner of Tacoma Cabana. Let’s get to know Jason a little bit more…
“Fashion isn’t an island; it’s a response” –Amanda Hallay
