Long before the age of cell phones and myriads of “calming apps” became available to download from them there were home stereo systems. Gen Z might be vaguely familiar with these as relics of their parents or even grandparents era. Before phone apps were available to promote relaxation and calm racing thoughts – there was a whole genre of easy listening/exotica/lounge music on good, old-fashioned LP’s. These delightful, “take me away from it all” melodies were practically revered from the late 1940s through the early 1960s. Then they became reviled during the counterculture era of the latter 1960s right through the 1980s. By the mid-1990s this genre started making a comeback and became retro-chic.
The UltraLounge: Volume #2: Mondo Exotica is a top-notch compilation cd of the best Polynesian-Hawaiian-South Seas inspired music collectively known as “Exotica” whose popularity flourished during the mid-20th century and is enjoying a major revival now. Mondo Exotica does indeed contain “Eighteen vintage masterpieces performed by Exotica’s most evocative and creative recording artists” – just as the cd cover promises! These beguiling melodies have fanciful titles such “Hypnotique”, “Voodoo Dreams” and “Bali Ha’i” which enchanted Americans of the post-World War Two era who wanted to envision the islands of the South Seas as enchanted idylls, rather than ravaged battle zones of history’s greatest conflict.
The soothing, day dream music of “Exotica” is best described by RJ Smith who wrote the liner notes for this compilation as: “a round trip ticket departing everyday for something more fabulous. It had the feel of distant places…” In truth, these most fabulous places exist only in our fantasies. No place in the world is a perfect tropical paradise – although some locales seemingly come close to achieving this. The rival high priests of this hodgepodge of musical styles from multiple cultures which encouraged these fantasies were Martin Denny and Les Baxter. They were the concept men, the creators of blended tunes utilizing the sounds and instruments of such widely varying cultures as the Hawaiian islands, African tribes, India, the Middle East and folk tunes from around the world.
Martin Denny in particular had a knack for creating some of the true classics of the extensive Exotica line-up. His musical allure was most appreciated by the returning servicemen of the post-war era which also resulted in the spread of a signature Exotica or “Tiki” culture around the United States. This fanciful culture also manifested itself beyond the music in a dazzling array of Exotica/Tiki/South Seas inspired films such as the classic musical South Pacific (1958) the Hawaiian family melodrama Diamond Head (1962), architecture and decorative motifs in bars, nightclubs, restaurants, motels, and apartment buildings across the country. Naturally, this cultural movement also inspired a plethora of flamboyant cocktail concoctions, primarily rum-based that totally complimented the music and the general joie de vivre which surrounded Exotica. Also, the flowery, tropical shirts from that era were wildly popular and still are today.
Getting back to the music, I think of what an exciting and innovative period it must have been for Denny, Baxter, and others who contributed to creating an entirely new genre of music that was a blend of many cultures but totally from their imaginations at the same time. The beguiling tunes from these artists could create a mental utopia for its devotees if not an actual one. Exotica became an intriguing, surreal blend of sounds, combining tropical bird calls and other sounds of nature (especially from the rainforests) in concert with jazz instruments such as the vibraphone. Percussion instruments such as cymbals, xylophones, & chimes also became prominently associated with the best of Exotica. Of course, the music wouldn’t be complete without night performances of hula dancing and blazing tiki torches under twinkling stars on the beach!
It’s no wonder that the Exotica/Tiki craze took the United States by storm starting in the 1950s. For many people it was the only way to experience this largely created culture – since actually traveling overseas to the Hawaiian Islands or other parts of the South Pacific to get immersed with it was not an option. For those who could vacation in Hawaii there was the opportunity to see Martin Denny, the godfather of Exotica performing at the best tropical resorts like Don The Beachcomber and the Hawaiian Village in Honolulu. Although the heyday of Exotica/Tiki is long gone the music survives and has experienced quite a resurgence as I mentioned earlier. It might never have entirely fallen out of fashion – seeming to vanish abruptly by 1967 – had it not been due to the horrors of the escalating Vietnam War and other crises in the Pacific which made the Exotica/Tiki realm practically grotesque along with all the so-called “cultural appropriation” controversies spawned during the upheavals of the latter 1960s.
While it lasted, the most talented creators of Exotica like Martin Denny (1911-2005) put his considerable talents with the piano, percussion instruments, and composing to good use, spawning this dreamy, beguiling new musical style enthusiastically accepted by the public. Denny also toured extensively with the Don Dean orchestra throughout South America during the 1930s where Latin rhythms influenced him to incorporate this type of music into his own compositions later on. After finishing his time in the army Denny returned to Los Angeles where he studied music at the Los Angeles Conservatory Of Music and then at USC. This obviously proved beneficial towards starting his own combo in 1955. Likewise, Les Baxter (1922-1996) also had musical gifts that included playing the saxophone and as a vocalist for big acts such as Mel Torme and Artie Shaw. Like Denny, Baxter also studied music, but at the Detroit Conservatory Of Music, and like Denny, would also eventually end up in Los Angeles.
By 1950, Baxter was working as an arranger/composer at Capitol Records where he would soon meet the exotic, golden-voiced Peruvian singer Yma Sumac (1922-2008) and record her first album titled Voice Of The Ixtabay which is considered to be the first full-length recording of the Exotica movement. Although Baxter would work for many years in other musical genres scoring such great popular movie hits like “Unchained Melody” (1955) He will always be best remembered for his contributions to Exotica. While Baxter and Denny were sharing the throne as high priests of Exotica, Yma Sumac was the high priestess. Her vocal range was astonishing and proved to be an excellent contribution to the Exotica universe. By the time she was fifteen her amazing voice was becoming known well beyond Peru, and she recorded an album of Peruvian folk songs for the Odeon label in Argentina in 1943.
After she was discovered by Les Baxter in 1950, signed to Capitol Records and recorded six successful albums there – it was clearly apparent that the almost supernatural quality of her voice could easily carry the listener away to mystical, far-off realms. The Mondo Exotica collection contains only a small sampling of her recordings – so one would do well to check out her other Capitol recordings, including: Voice Of The Ixtabay (1950), Legend Of The Sun Virgin (1952), Inca Taqui (1953), Mambo ! (1954), Legend Of The Jivaro (1957), and Fuego Del Ande (1959). Her extensive touring throughout the world during the 1950s ensured just as much as the recordings that Exotica would be spread far and wide. Nonetheless, the tracks offered on Mondo Exotica offer some of the best samplings of the talents of Denny, Baxter, and Sumac, who recorded over sixty albums between them during the 1950s and 60s, many of them in the rapidly expanded Exotica genre.
The music is sheer delight for tropical themed pool parties – especially in the evenings when the tiki torches are alight and/or Japanese lanterns, tea lights, incense sticks, and tropical fruit platters can be most appreciated. The best cocktails are the dazzling array of rum-based drinks that harmonize best with the Exotica/Tiki experience. However, when alone and just needing relaxation to unwind from a stressful day, the Mondo Exotica playlist with a Rum Punch might be just the thing!
