“Serious and competent acolytes of exotica” // Honolulu Star-Bulletin [REVIEW]
A nice review in John Berger “Island Mele” column for The WAITIKI 7’s new CD New Sounds of Exotica. Berger acknowledges us in the context of the legendary tiki performers, Don Tiki—oh, what splendidly great company to be in!
With the release of the second album by the Waitiki 7, it’s clear that Hawaii can lay claim to two groups that are serious and competent acolytes of the late Martin Denny and the “exotica” music he created here more than 50 years ago. Nothing reflects better on a group in any genre than that it shows respect to those pioneers and pathfinders who preceded it — the Waitiki 7 acknowledge not only Denny, Lex Baxter and Arthur Lyman, but also Don Tiki.
With its music the younger group also pays homage to tradition, while taking the genre in new musical directions. Saxophonist/arranger Tim Mayer opens “Bali Ha’i” as a duet for flute and violin, then takes the band off on lengthy Latinesque tangent . . . A drum solo on “Firecracker” places that Denny standard in a new cultural context as well.
—John Berger, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, May 14, 2010
Download this review as a PDF.
