see Surfing Kewalo Basin, Hawaii 1964

Legendary Surfers made me aware of the Wax Cylinder Preservation Project, which features many a hawaiian recording from back in the days.

Hawaiian Guitar cylinders

Ukulele cylinders

Xylophone cylinders

Marimba cylinders

Hawaii topic cylinders

while we’re at it:

Japanese cylinders

German cylinders

Guitar cylinders

And they sent this article right along, which describes the dawn of modern surfing in the islands, in the 1910s.

I Belli di Waikiki

Don Tiki at Wassermusik 08

Don Tiki

Don Tiki

I Belli di Waikiki must be one of the busiest acts in europe in the Hula-Rock’n’Roll field, o.k. there aren’t that many, but I heard they play a lot outside their native Italy. I always enjoy the good time music and fun presentation. It’s been a smart move to pick-up the fifties connection of Polynesia and Rock’n’Roll, as so many aging Rockabillys join the Tiki afficionados. I must say that I really dig their style and especially the sound of the steel guitar and the Dearmond/Bigsby Tele – he practically nails my ideal guitar sound with it! They had given some accomplished pin-striper a go on their ukulele and guitar, looks very neat.

Don Tiki – probably the best show this side of Esquivel in Vegas! Unfortunately my phone camera couldn’t capture the fury of the dancers, the drama of the performers or the wealth of customes and make up. It was the biggest crowd at Wassermusik so far – and I like to think they witnessed something to tell their grandchildren about.

Along with seeing and hearing Waitiki and Latin Lovers it was great meeting Virani, Jochen and Tanja Hirschfeld, Forbidden Paradise’ Hai Kai and Michael. It made me really happy to hear that the first part of Armchairtravelling in the World of Tiki DVD will be available later this year. I enjoyed seeing the work in progress on the big screen, especially interested how the pictures work with the music, I had the pleasure to record for it. It’s going to be a definitive must have for Tiki-philes. …once it’s actually available.

Latin Lovers (Berlin)

This band was opening the Tiki weekend at Wassermusik 08. The horn heavy line-up was proof to the theory that many ways lead to Exotica.

The Mayor of Exotica in Sumo dress

He didn’t quite look as big wearing his stage suit. An Exotica flute heavy weight if there ever was one!

Waitiki at Wassermusik 08

Accomplished performances by all musicians, beautiful arrangements and cheerful stage presence – it was a great experience seeing them. Thanks! Oh, and the birdcalls by Lopaka Colon – so great and all done while providing perfect groove in polyrythmic bongo-playing. Several people noted to me that we were listening actually to Augie Colon’s son. Playing again today with Don Tiki.

Scholastic scientists ignore Thor Heyerdahl’s publications to the point of constant embarassment. For example the sewn plank canoe mentioned in this article is found along the way from the Pacific Northwest to Hawaii, Micronesia, Melanesia and New Zealand. These places surround a natural ocean route, described by Heyerdahl in the 1950s. Many ethnical and cultural evidences can be found of contact with pacific indians and polynesian people. And I would expect excactly that from people populating almost every significant island in the polynesian triangle. Why should they stop there? The Americas are hard to miss once you enter the Japan current. Remember Johnny Depp drifting out in a canoe at the end of Dead Man? If redwood lumber was taken to Hawaii by stream, why not canoes of coastal settlers? Maybe the occasional dead Northwestern indian’s canoe landed in Hawai’i front tip first – they would have regarded him a god! Hawaiki!

Did ancient Polynesians visit California? Maybe so. Scholars revive idea using linguistic ties, Indian headdress Keay Davidson, Chronicle Science Writer Monday, June 20, 2005 Scientists are taking a new look at an old and controversial idea: that ancient Polynesians sailed to Southern California a millennium before Christopher Columbus landed on the East Coast.Key new evidence comes from two directions. The first involves revised carbon-dating of an ancient ceremonial headdress used by Southern California’s Chumash Indians. The second involves research by two California scientists who suggest that a Chumash word for ‘sewn-plank canoe’ is derived from a Polynesian word for the wood used to construct the same boat.

Did ancient Polynesians visit California? Maybe so. / Scholars revive idea using linguistic ties, Indian headdress

An outsider’s view of the recent Hukilau at the Mai-Kai in Florida available online here.

Henford Lemoore posted his list of drinks mentioned in the article at Tiki Central:

1. Shark bite
2. Mara amu
3. Planters punch
4. Oh so deadly
5. Cobra’s kiss
6. Deep sea diver
7. Rum julep
8. Mutiny
9. K o cooler
10. Derby daiquiri
11. Rum barrel
12. Jet Pilot
13. Black magic
14. Mai Tai
15. Bora bora
16. Hukilau
17. 151 swizzle
18. Martinique Milk Punch
19. Floritia daiquiri
20. Mai kai swizzle
21. Mai Kai special
22. Malayan Mist
23. Somoan Grog
24. S.o.s.
25. Russian roulette
26. Hidden pearls
27. Yeomans Grog
28. Banana daiquiri
29. Tahitian breeze
30. Zulu #1

Detailed info from HKW here.

Brian Chidester, co-author of Dumb Angel Magazine 4 and the upcoming Pop Surf Culture book (among other things) has a short film about the Waikiki Beachboys on YouTube currently.

Quote from Tiki central:

It’s a short documentary that I directed four years ago, as a teaser to a larger project about the Waikiki Beachboys… native Hawaiian surf instructors and nightclub entertainers from the jazz age up through the ’60s. There were two great generations of Beachboys, and even though there are still beachboy concessions on Waikiki Beach today, the music and scene is nowhere near what it was back in the day.
I hope you enjoy the clip. I have tons of interview footage ‘in the can.’

I could have played all night, the audience was great, but since the public transportation was going on strike in the morning people made the effort to catch the last rides. This list is not in the correct order, I will find a way to ensure the correct posting order for my next playlist.

1. La Mer d’Hawaii – Die Gitarros
2. Sake Rock – Martin Denny
3. Blue Rain – The Islanders
4. Beach Boy – Martha Shanklin
5. On Your Marks – Santo & Johnny
6. Sansar Ki Har Shae – Van Shipley
7. Phantoma – The Silver Bullets
8. Beauty Hula – Ray Kinney and his Famous Hawaiian Orchestra
9. 55 Days of Peking – Rob-E. G.
10. Atlantis – Norrie Paramor and his Orchestra
11. Rosarita Surf – Jerry Cole
12. Hero – Kai Winding
13. Taboo – The Keymen
14. Main Title From: Ride The Wild Surf – The Astronauts
15. Volare – Santo & Johnny
16. Adios – Xavier Cugat
17. He Ain’t Heavy… He’s My Brother – Basil Henriques and the Waikiki Islanders
18. Perfidia – Xavier Cugat
19. Spooky – Santo & Johnny
20. Rockambo Baby – Tarragano & his Orchestra
21. Tequila – Lloyd Lindroth
22. The Twist – The Parleys
23. La Paloma – Ken James
24. Hawaii Five-O – Roberto Delgado
25. Doin’ The Cha Cha Cha – Preston Epps
26. Caribbean Nights – Arthur Lyman
27. Staccato – The Eliminators

I also played a track by The Stylers and The Melodians (Maurice Patton) each, but don’t know the titles since they are set in chinese on the covers and labels.

It was really great to see hawaiian slack-key master Harry Koizumi, with his traditional hawaiian music. Very beautiful. Berlin Surf-band Space Dog showed much potential. They rocked so well towards the end. They just need to hit the stage more often.

Hawaii 1963. A guy walks down to the shore with his red 5′ board in hand, paddles out and catches some waves. And rides them well, like he does so every day. A shortboard! In 1963! OK, it’s a paipo board which is usually ridden on the belly. It’s radical! Check out how close he rides to the wall towards the end. His body english is very relaxed there. Phew!

PAIPO Boarding 1963, Val Ching