May 20 2023
Tak Shindo, born in 1922, was a Japanese-American musician, composer, and arranger known for his contributions to the exotica genre in the mid-20th century. Exotica, a form of lounge music that incorporated elements of various ethnic and indigenous musical styles, became immensely popular in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s. Shindo’s innovative fusion …
Apr 25 2023
Arthur Lyman, a prominent figure in the world of exotica music and “the King of Lounge music,” was a talented musician renowned for his soothing marimba playing and enchanting jazz compositions. Born in 1932 in Kauai, Hawaii, he spent his formative years absorbing the rich cultural heritage of the Hawaiian islands, which later played a significant …
Apr 10 2023
Happy birthday to the “father of exotica” Martin Denny, born on this day April 10, 1911 in New York, NY. Martin Denny’s Exotica music is a genre-defining blend of jazz, world music, and tropical sounds that captured the imagination of a generation. With its lush instrumentation and evocative melodies, Denny’s music continues to inspire and delight …
Jul 27 2021
First recorded by Katherine Dunham & The Singing Gods in 1955 and now rediscovered, here is Nanigo (Cuba) from Drum Rhythms of Haiti Cuba Brazil. Drum Rhythms of Haiti Cuba Brazil by Katherine Dunham & The Singing Gods
Jul 20 2021
Domenique Dumont’s album People on Sunday glows with synths that dance and bounce with both classical brilliance and the mystique of exotica. The Latvian composer created the album as a modern soundtrack to the 1930 German silent film People On Sunday (Menschen am Sonntag/Les Hommes le Dimanche) which portrays everyday life before the dictatorship. As …
Jul 06 2021
This week Hamburg-based DJ Crille released a compilation of fun exotica tunes via the Stag-O-Lee DJ-Set Series. You can have a listen to all 32 tracks on BandCamp. BORN TO HULA! Stag-O-Lee DJ Set Vol. 4 by Stag-O-Lee DJ Sets