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Why is the Middle Eastern theme so popular (& why can't it be tiki?) |
christiki295
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 09, 2003
Posts: 3616
From: LA-2547 mls east Hawaii &5500 Easter Is
|  Posted: 2004-03-22 11:27 pm Permalink
I went to Tantra in SilverLake again, I can't get enough of that place, and I was wondering about the proliferation of Middle Eastern style bars:
Tantra & Akbar, in Silver Lake, Casbah on Hilhurst and, the Grand Dame, Dar Megreb, on Sunset.
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Formikahini
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 22, 2002
Posts: 1491
From: Houston, Texotica
| Posted: 2004-03-23 12:33 am Permalink
'Bout dang time, too! My whole living room is Moroccan (started with Tex/Mex, then reverse immigrated to Southern Spain, then Northern Africa. My own personal negative Moorish migration.)
There's the Fez Bar in Austin. Beautiful. And I'm dying to stay in that mega-lux hotel in Las Vegas, where they filmed that Julia Roberts movie (she played the frumpy asiistant?)
Is the trend kinda more Northern African than Middle Eastern, would you say? Or maybe the Cali bars are truly Middle Eastern.
Now where are those soon-to-be-damned Hale Tiki light fixtures?! I should grab me one!
[ This Message was edited by: formikahini on 2004-03-23 00:34 ]
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freddiefreelance
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 15, 2003
Posts: 2983
From: San Diego, Ca.
| Posted: 2004-03-23 08:41 am Permalink
It's Exotica, just not Tiki. "Caravan" is considered to be 1 of the holy trinity of Lounge Exotica, Hale Tiki was originally a Middle Eastern/North Africa/Moorish themed bar, Witco made a bunch of Moorish/Spanish pieces...
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Tiki_Bong
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Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 0 | Posted: 2004-03-23 11:21 am Permalink
I think the reason the 'Middle Eastern' theme is so popular is because you will be a target of a suicide bomber if you do not subscribe.
(Which I believe would instantly create the middle-east theme...)
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tiki mick
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 11, 2003
Posts: 398
From: Socal
| Posted: 2004-03-24 09:43 am Permalink
I noticed arabian themed motels on beach blvd...one is called "sahara"!! I regard the style as exotica....not tiki, but in the same vein!
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Tiki_Bong
Deleted
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 0 | Posted: 2004-03-24 09:48 am Permalink
Quote:
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On 2004-03-24 09:43, tiki mick wrote:
I noticed arabian themed motels on beach blvd...one is called "sahara |
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Mick, I drive past the Sahara every day. It's a hole that caters to homeless, prostitutes, drug dealers and everyone else that makes Beach Blvd so special.
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tiki mick
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 11, 2003
Posts: 398
From: Socal
| Posted: 2004-03-24 11:47 am Permalink
Yeah, but in it's time I bet it was really cool!
I dig the fonts on the sign out front!!!
Most of Beach blvd is disgusting...what sacrilege to allow those motels to turn into crack houses and meth labs!!!!
It's a shame!!!
Mike Brady, the architect for most of those beach blvd motels would be rolling in his astroturf-covered grave!!!
But seriously, I wonder if the original architects ever drive past there and think "what the f*&k happened here?"
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tikibars
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 11, 2002
Posts: 2014
From: Aku Hall, Chicago
| Posted: 2004-03-24 12:02 pm Permalink
Just goes to show, as was pointed out above, that Exotica comes in many flavors: Polynesian, North African or Middle Eastern, owls, Asian...
Tikifish, you might be able to help me dredge this memory up:
I visited Toronto when I was very young, perhaps in the early 1970s.
After going to the Science center, we ate at a Central African-themed place. It was very dark inside, african masks on the walls, everything just like we like it in a TIki palace, but this was like a veldt-Zulu theme or something.
I remember getting a huge burger, and as a 6 or 7 year old, it seemed like the biggest piece of meat I'd ever seen (no wisecracks, people). There was a big plastic spear stuck in it that my parent's didn't let me keep (too sharp or greasy or something I guess).
I wish I could remember this place. For all of the Tiki fans, Asian-kitsch fanatics, and people eagerly awaiting Conquistador Road Trip, I am certain there must also be a tribe of Zulu Exotica freaks out there too, listening to Chaino and eating big water buffalo steaks.
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PolynesianPop
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 2341
From: Corona, Ca
| Posted: 2004-03-24 12:08 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2004-03-24 11:47, tiki mick wrote:
I dig the fonts on the sign out front!!!
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How did I know that?? 
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Poly-Pop *
Bartender, make mine a glass of WATAHHH!!!!!
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tiki mick
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 11, 2003
Posts: 398
From: Socal
| Posted: 2004-03-24 1:38 pm Permalink
Hey Tiki Bars!
I am one of those people!! I have always been into the "safari" style....but I came to it in a roundabout way....
In 1980 a new King Crimson album came out, in the african style, and it blew me away..from then on, I was totally and completly into world music and style!!!
I loved lion country safari, and adventureland at Disneyland is of course, my favorite...
Not to piss off you tiki purists, but I consider all the different types of exotica to be from the same "family"...and back then, I doubt anyone really differentiated much anyway! it was all "moderne" and "exotica" and "tiki"...the styles seemed to flow together and influence each other....one common thing was the diamond shaped sign with "exotic fonts" out front of the liquor stores and motels of the day!!
Seems like no matter what genre, they all have THAT in common!
Hey Poly pop! you remembered the font wars! Good man!!!
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christiki295
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 09, 2003
Posts: 3616
From: LA-2547 mls east Hawaii &5500 Easter Is
| Posted: 2004-03-24 7:35 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2004-03-24 13:38, tiki mick wrote:
I consider all the different types of exotica to be from the same "family.....all "moderne" and "exotica" and "tiki"...the styles seemed to flow together and influence each other
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I couldn't agree more. I do love the many flavors of the exotica theme.
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tikifish
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 2720
From: Toronto,Canada
| Posted: 2004-03-25 08:25 am Permalink
Doesn't ring a bell - was it NEAR the Science Centre? Or was it downtown? This could help.
I am intrigued!
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Johnny Dollar
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 01, 2003
Posts: 2916
From: Baltimore, Maryland, PNG
| Posted: 2004-03-25 08:46 am Permalink
i would posit that although i have not experienced many middle eastern / african establishments, that i have seen a large amount of middle eastern / african decorative items available in the past years. the market is probably relatively flooded with such items, and aside from trendiness some shrewd businesspeople would see that it is an affordable way to create an "exotic" interior...
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tikibars
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 11, 2002
Posts: 2014
From: Aku Hall, Chicago
| Posted: 2004-03-25 12:17 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2004-03-25 08:25, tikifish wrote:
Doesn't ring a bell - was it NEAR the Science Centre? Or was it downtown? This could help.
I am intrigued!
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I seem to remember it being very close to the Science Centre, but then again this was some 30 years ago...
And Mick: What Crimson elpee are you talking about...?
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tiki mick
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 11, 2003
Posts: 398
From: Socal
| Posted: 2004-03-25 1:12 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2004-03-25 12:17, tikibars wrote:
Quote:
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On 2004-03-25 08:25, tikifish wrote:
Doesn't ring a bell - was it NEAR the Science Centre? Or was it downtown? This could help.
I am intrigued!
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I seem to remember it being very close to the Science Centre, but then again this was some 30 years ago...
And Mick: What Crimson elpee are you talking about...?
I am talking about "discipline", the red album....
Possibly the only "rock" album I ever liked..the two follow-ups, "beat" and "three of a perfect pair" were also very cool....
Although not really african, or african tinged liked Paul Simon "graceland"..these albums for me, were almost like exotica..music ABOUT africa, but not FROM africa..and I guess that's the distinction in my mind!
The duel guitars of fripp and Belew are to me, a lot like balafons (african xylophones) in thier approach, and Tony levin's stick playing brings to mind the large african bass harp, the double-bass of africa!
Of course I really like authentic african music too, like Salif Keita, for example...don't care too much for Fela, however...too hippy for me!
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