- Tiki Culture: From Polynesia to the Caribbean
INFORMAL ENVIRONMENTS, RUSTIC CONSTRUCTIONS, WICKER FURNISHINGS, HAWAIIAN WARDROBE AND COCKTAILS BASED ON RUMS, FRUITS AND FLOWERS, IN VESSELS WITH TOTEMIC ATTRIBUTES AND LUSH DECORATION, THAT’S WHAT TIKI CULTURE IS ALL ABOUT
The holistic sense takes center stage when it comes to making and positioning a product. The more precedents and events you have complemented in the mind of consumers, the better they assimilate and define what they actually want to acquire.
That’s what probably happened to the projects developed by Californian Victor Jules Bergeron, Jr. (1902 - 1984), who founded a widespread and prolific chain of restaurants based on Polynesian culture. This design line was also pioneered by Ernest Raymond Beaumont-Gantt, from Louisiana, who traveled around the South Pacific and later opened The Beachcomber Bar in 1934, in the United States.
On the other hand, Bergeron also began his business in the 1930s with a small bar-restaurant, named Hinky Dink’s, in Oakland, California, which soon became his famous Trader Vic’s. In 1940 he took his first franchise to Seattle, Washington, followed by Hawaii, until he managed over 40. They are still open –or they were– in different places of the United States, England, Canada, United Arab Emirates, China and Japan. Several of these franchises were nestled in Hilton hotels, including the Habana Hilton, currently named Tryp Habana Libre, inaugurated in March 1958, where Polinesio Restaurant still preserves its original environment.
People have always find an appeal in exotic things and the resulting escape from daily realities. This reality, extrapolated to Trader Vic’s franchises, has been expressed in informal environments, with rustic wood constructions, wicker furnishings, Hawaiian wardrobes and cocktails based on rums, fruits and flowers, served in vessels with totemic attributes and lush decoration, thus giving name to the tiki culture.
A brief look back at the historic, economic, politic, social and cultural circumstances, since the first decades of the 20th century to date, could help understand the familiarization and acceptability of this peculiar product.
Such chronological and rationally reiterative coincidence, in addition to the fidelity to a corporate image and the characteristics of its services in every latitude where people find this “extract” of heavenly environment, an ancient slogan makes travelers give in to temptation, inviting them to enjoy the good things of the tropics: “You look pale. Put a flower behind your ear and come to Trader Vic’s”. Do not forget that Cuba and the Caribbean are also located at the tropics. You don’t need to bring the flower. You’ll get it here, accompanied by a habano, a yarey hat and the hospitality of their people.
The Evolution of Tiki Culture
1920 - 1935
Prohibition Law, promulgated by Senator A. Volstead, since 1920 until 1935. It banned the importation, making, selling and consumption of alcoholic drinks in the United States.
1929
“Crack” from 1929: the worst fall in the history of Stock Market in the United States. It caused the so-called worldwide “Great Depression”. Serious social consequences, especially in the middle class. Logical anxiety related to changes and evasion feelings.
1933
Sons of the Desert was shot in 1933 and had the anthological comedian duo made up of Oliver Hardy, Hardy and Stan Laurel, Laurel, playing the leading roles. Part of the plot was related to a fictitious trip to Hawaii, so they could fool their wives and attend a convention in Chicago. The movie includes a delightful sequence when Laurel sings and dances with Honolulu Baby.
1941
The United States joins the WWII, in 1941, after the attack conducted by Japanese forces against Pearl Harbor military base, in Hawaii.
1947
Sea expedition by Norwegian Thor Heyerdahl in 1947, across the Pacific Ocean, from Peru’s coasts to the Polynesia, with the aim of showing that these islands were populated by sailors from South America, in pre-Columbian times. He used a rustic boat, named Kon-Tiki, the old denomination of Viracocha, sun god of the Incas. That’s also the title of a novel written by Heyerdahl and translated into 66 languages. The film based on this story got an Oscar Award to the Best Documentary in 1951.
1958
In 1958 the 20th Century Fox shot the successful romantic musical South Pacific by Rodgers and Hammerstein, whose sound track was included in a LP album as part of those productions that made history in the mid-20th century. It is based on two love endings, one of which occurs between US officer Josep Cable and native Liat, played by John Kerr and France Nuyen, respectively.
1959
Hawaii covers most of the archipelago of the same name, made up of hundreds of islands. Geographically and ethnologically, they belong to the Polynesian sub-region of Oceania, in the central Pacific Ocean. Since 1898, the monarchy was abolished and it was annexed to the Union of the States, although it wasn’t considered as the 50th state until August 21, 1959, with Honolulu as the capital.
1961
Paramount Pictures filmed Blue Hawaii in 1961, one of the most acclaimed movies by famous U.S. singer and actors Elvis Presley. Labeled as a musical comedy, it tackled the classic conflict of a romance between a white man from a wealthy family (Elvis playing Chad, who worked as a tour guide) and a native girl (Joan Blackman playing Maile).
1961
Surf became popular in the west, especially in California. The Beach Boys were founded in 1961, a famous pop rock band that established the culture and dance musical genre, also called surf. In the early 20th century, Hawaii rescued the sport practice of riding sea waves on oval board, called he'enalu in the Hawaiian native tong. In 1767, the crew of Captain Cook watched it at this Polynesian region.
1962 y 1965
Presley later took center stage in Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962) and Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1965).
BLUE HAWAIIi
Ingredients
60 mL white rum
30 mL blue Curacao liquor
30 mL orange juice
60 mL pineapple juice
Ice as preferred
Preparation
Blend all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake it during 20 seconds. Serve in a glass for water. Decorate with a piece of fresh pineapple, artistically cut and slice of orange. One of the modern variants includes vodka or bittersweet liquor (syrup or lemon juice).
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