Friday, August 10, 2007

Modern Tiki Culture - Island Lifestyle and All Things Tropical

Originally the Tiki represented a craze that started during the World War II era and up through about a decade past the time Hawaii officially became the 50th state in the United States. From Bing Crosby to Elvis to Trader Vic our movies, music, clothing, decor, food and cocktails reflected Americans' fascination with the South Seas. Meanwhile a surfing craze was growing on the California coast and yet another began on the other side of the world in and around the Caribbean as Americans became fascinated by Cuba, the Florida Keys and the Bahamas as the likes of Ernest Hemingway to Jimmy Buffett captured our imaginations with tales from the tropics.

America's love of the tropics has never really ended. Today more than ever we pursue all of these things as we seek a finer living or just a means to temporarily escape. Today, this is what the tiki has come to represent.

For those who cannot make this escape for real, my goal is to build an online community... Tiki Nation. A place where people from around the world can come to relax, escape and enjoy life through stories, cultural history lessons, recipes, cocktails, music, podcasts and blogs.

You can check out all of the above and participate in our blog at: http://www.thetikibarisopen.com

No comments: