TIKI CULTURE

GREAT NEWS! The Hukilau will live on past 2014!

A few months ago it was announced that The Hukilau in Florida would be saying its final aloha. Well, we just received a press release from Christie “Tiki Kaliki” White announcing that it’s been saved! The release reads:

 Dear Villagers of The Hukilau – please hear this call to action,

As you are aware, we have announced that The Hukilau 2014, our 13th year together, will be The Final Aloha. While the Final Aloha was a very difficult decision to make, it was necessary by a series of factors at that time. I’m relieved and thankful that we may be able to overcome them.

I’m happy to announce due to recent events that The Hukilau will continue!! I wanted to be very transparent so that you all could know that this as soon as possible. I know how much all of you save and must pull all the stops to be able to travel each year and spend your hard earned vacation dollars during The Hukilau weekender. It’s very important to me that all of you know this could not have been possible prior to meeting with the 2 people that are looking at coming aboard. 6 months ago I could see no way that I could continue the event due to the enormity of the project and the demands of responsibility plus my full time job commitment.

The tremendous outpouring of support, emails, offers and interest in saving The Hukilau since making the Final Aloha announcement has been overwhelming. When I take a step back and see all the lives that this event has impacted over the years, how many relationships have been forged, how many historic moments in our culture have been shared between us, it was clear to me that I didn’t want to end the event – I just could no longer do it alone.

The Mai-Kai is in complete support of The Hukilau and are equally excited of the event continuing!!!! Of course, the Mai-Kai remains as my most treasured place on the planet – their future preservation and history are of the upmost importance to myself and my team.

If some of you feel as though you’d like to cancel this year I completely understand given that The Hukilau will have a life far beyond the 2014 event. I’m thankful that we’ve been given the opportunity to tell you now so that you can let me know if you’d rather make it another year. Please contact me directly so that I can take care of your cancelation personally. You can email me at christie@thehukilau.com

We will announce the dates of The Hukilau 2015 at this years event in June and will give those that registered for the Final Aloha the first opportunity to pre-register for 2015 – we thank you!!! This announcement will be followed by a future press release announcing my awesome partners in the event moving forward.

Mahalo for buying tickets, sharing your enthusiasm of the event, inviting your friends, attending year after year or for the first time – it paid off and a few people have stepped forward to help save us!!!

Please raise a glass in your home Tiki bar, at your local Tiki bar or whatever paradise you prefer and toast tonight – LONG LIVE THE HUKILAU!!!!

Well, since we live only a few miles from The Mai Kai and Fort Lauderdale Beach where this fantabulous event takes place, you can imagine how happy I am that it’s been saved. See you all in June!

-Tiki Chris P

Happy St. Paddy’s Day from Tiki Lounge Talk!

A few years ago I posted an article on the TRUE history of St. Pat. You can see that article here: http://tikiloungetalk.com/happy_st_Paddys_day

Wishing all of you a happy and safe St. Paddy’s Day!

HAPPY NEW YEAR from Tiki Lounge Talk!

As I raise my Tiki mug filled with a strong rum & juice concoction, I toast you all, and wish you a very happy and healthy 2014!

Wow, 2014…It seems like only yesterday “The 50s” were only 20 years ago, the stars from our favorite noir movies were all still alive and working, and big band leaders like Harry James, Benny Goodman and Duke Ellington were still swingin’. I’m thinking back to 30 years ago, 1984 (WOW), or 40 years ago, 1974 (WOW-ER).

Kats and kittens drop into the Tiki Lounge to read and talk about our favorite era, now most commonly known as “mid century”, previously known as “the old days”. We dig things like Bogart movies, cool jazz, Spillane, aluminum Christmas trees, and of course Tiki bars. We’d prefer to roll in a 1957 Chevy or 1948 Buick than a 2013 Honda. We might like laptop computers, but many of us still have an old typewriter somewhere, and some of even use them.

With every year that passes by, we realize how far detached from our favorite ear we (as a society) are becoming. Ask any twenty year old if they know who Guy Lombardo is, and they’ll probably look at you like you have three heads. Ask a teen who Bobby Rydell is, or Jack Benny, or Gene Kelley, and you’ll  get a similar look. At least they still play Lombardo and Sinatra after the ball drops in NYC.

Let’s look at a few things that makes 2014 special, in regards to our past.

70 years ago, 1944:

America is knee-deep in WWII, landing in France on June 6th (D-Day). It’s the beginning of the end for Hitler.

Sinatra was still a “skinny kid”.

Laura, Double Indemnity, and House of Frankenstein, The Three Cabelleros and Jane Eyre are some of the top movies.

Glenn Miller disappears over the English Channel.

Mills Bros’ “Paper Doll”, Harry James’ “I’ll Get By”, Bing Crosby’s “Swingin’ on a Star”, and Dinah Shore’s “I’ll Walk Alone” are some of the top hits of the year.

60 years ago, 1954:

Korean War ended in ’53; America enjoys a few years of war-free prosperity.

Rear Window, On the Waterfront, The Barefoot Contessa, The Seven Samuri and Dial M for Murder are some of the top movies.

Tony Bennett’s “Rags to Riches”, The Crew Cuts’ “Shaboom Shaboom”, The Chordetts’ “Mr. Sandman” are the top singles; Bill Haley records “Rock Around the Clock” which wouldn’t take off until it’s used in the 1955 movie “Blackboard Jungle”.

Last year for Chevrolet’s “round” look – the ’55 Chevy is one of the newest, freshest and most newly admired styles since the 1930s.

50 years ago, 1964:

America is still reeling from the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Lyndon Johnson will be the free-world leader for most of the decade.

“The Beatles” blow up the music industry with “I want to hold your hand”, and changes everything, forever.

In spite of the British Invasion, “Hello, Dolly” by Louis Armstrong, “Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime” by Dean Martin and “The Girl from Ipanema” by Stan Getz still make it to the top 100. Also that year The Trashmen release Surfin’ Bird.

“Dr. Strangelove”, “Goldfinger”, “A Shot in the Dark”, “A Fist Full of Dollars” and “Night of the Iguana” are some of the top films.

Since the late 60′s pretty much ends the era we love, I’ll only point out that 1974 was 40 years ago; meaning “Happy Days”, which was about the “good old days” was taking place less than 20 years after the era it represented. Let that sink in a little. I’ll also point out that Disco “officially” started in 1974 – making Disco the “big band music” of today’s generation. Spooky.

Well, I hope you found this little trip through time interesting (and not depressing!) Let’s remember that as long as we have record players, aluminum Christmas trees and Tiki bars, we’ll always have a little of the past right here, right now.

Happy New Year kats & kittens!

-Tiki Chris, reporting from the Tiki Bar on the Lanai, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Merry Christmas from The Land Where Palm Trees Sway

It’s a beautiful, sunny day here in South Florida, warm with a nice breeze. Kids are riding their new motorized scooters and playing with remote control cars and helicopters in the street. Down at the Beach, thousands of locals and travelers are enjoying the 80° day!

It’s Christmas in the sub tropics, where we decorate palm trees and have BBQs, Picnics and beach parties to celebrate the day! Here you know your Christmas will be green and bright, just like Hawaii.

Your Tiki Lounge hosts, Tiki Chris & Wahini Colleen wish you and yours the Merriest of Merriest & the Happiest of Happiest! Have yourself a merry Tiki Christmas! Mele Kalikimaka!

-Tiki Chris reporting from Pirates’ Cove Tiki Bar, next to the pool at Tiki Island Resort, that magical little Tiki oasis we like to call home.

Happy Thanksgiving from the Tropics!

While most of America is looking at a weekend of freezing temperatures, snow storms and cloudy days, we here in South Florida are thankful for the one biggest thing that makes our area great: Tropical weather.

We’ll be basking in the warm sun on Thanksgiving Day, and although a “cold front” is moving across, temperatures on Thursday are expected to be in the 70s during the day, dipping into some unusually cool 60s at night, just to remind us of the weather up north.

A lot of people down here hold traditional Thanksgiving BBQs, or fry their turkey out on the lanai. The Mai Kai in Fort Lauderdale always has Thanksgiving Dinner along with their spectacular Hula show. And of course, many from the great white north come down and hang out on the beach!

We have smoked out turkey on the grill in past years, but usually, (as with this year) Wahini Colleen enjoys cooking the whole, traditional Thanksgiving feast (this is “her” holiday, like Halloween is “mine”). This year we’ll have the pleasure of some last-minute company to share all this food with, along with a few planned Exotic Cocktails (I’m thinking Banana Banshees and Zombies).

Also…now that Halloween season is over and (most of) the spooky decor is down and stowed, I’ll have time to concentrate on more Tiki posts here and on our Retro Tiki Lounge Facebook page!

Aloha and Happy Thanksgiving, you swingin’ kats and kittens! -Tiki Chris, reporting from the carving station at Pirate’s Cove Tiki Bar