Exotica

For other uses, see Exotica (disambiguation).

Martin Denny's breakthrough album, Exotica

Exotica is a musical genre, named after the 1957 Martin Denny album of the same title, popular during the late 1950s to mid 1960s, typically with the suburban set who came of age during World War II. The musical colloquialism, exotica, means tropical ersatz: the non-native, pseudo experience of Oceania (Polynesia, Melanesia, Micronesia, Southeast Asia, and especially Hawaii). While the South Seas forms the core region, exotica reflects the "musical impressions" of every place from standard travel destinations to the mythical "shangri-las" dreamt of by armchair safari-ers.

Les Baxter's album, Ritual of the Savage (Le Sacre du Sauvage), would become the cornerstone of Exotica. This album featured lush orchestral arrangements along with tribal rhythms and featured such classics as "Quiet Village", "Jungle River Boat", "Love Dance", and "Stone God." Ritual is the seminal Exotica record, influencing all that came after it. As the 1950s progressed, Baxter carved out a niche in this area, producing titles in this style for Yma Sumac and Bas Sheva).

In 1956, Martin Denny burst on to the scene with his dreamy Hawaiian rhythms, complete with exotic bird calls. The new technology of stereo recording gave the music, and the Oriental ethnic musical instruments in it, an almost surreal effect.

Baxter formed his band in 1955. In 1957, Denny, with Les Baxter as composer, produced the "Quiet Village", which established the sound of Polynesian music. After a string of successful albums, Denny's commercial appeal faded, as the Tiki fad waned. By the mid-1960s, rock and roll supplanted Exotica in the American musical mainstream. Exotica and its parent genre, lounge, have resurfaced and have gained in popularity in recent years.

According to vinylist Hipwax, "exotica relies on percussion: conga, bongos, vibes, gongs, boo bams (bamboo sticks), Tahitian log, Chinese bell tree, bird calls, big-cat roars, and even primate shrieks invoke the dangers of the jungle. Except for a handful of singers and standards with lyrics, singing is rare. Abstract, sirenish ululations, fierce chants, or guttural growls are common, however."

== See also == According to a 1960 promo ep designed and distributed by Liberty Records for Liberty share holders, David Seville (of Chipmunks fame), a composer/producer on Liberty, told Julie London that the term "Exotica" was penned and coined by Simon "Si" Waronker, Liberty Records co-founder and, at the time, Liberty's board chairman.

  Apparently, around the time of Martin Denny's signing to Liberty in 1955, Waronker was doodling on a pad of paper whilst trying to think of a name to call the exotic sounding music that had slowly been permeating the music industry since the arrival ,in 1952 ,of Les Baxter's first self titled album of original compositions "The Ritual of the Savage." 
   Waronker wanted to find a term that would capture the spirit, and also perhaps, help to sell such music as was in Liberty's best interest, considering they had just signed Martin Denny, who was producing and recording this kind of exotic music for his first album with Liberty. This story has it that Si was doodling and had written down the word "exotic" on his pad of paper when he casually added an "a" to the end of the word and the rest is history. He liked the sound of it so much that it went on to become the title of Denny's first album on the Liberty label.
    Thus, it may be true to say that noone actually invented the musical genre known as exotica, though Denny enormously contributed in its' evolution and carrying its' musical appeal to hungry ears around the world; while on the marketing and linguistic end of things, Waronker certainly found a brilliantly suiting term that has stuck since 1957; with a couple variations added along the way, such as " Lounge" or "Bachelor Pad" music. 

Exotica itself is highly indebted to and reminiscent of the earlier impressionist movement.

• Mexican bandleader Juan Garcia Esquivel is sometimes regarded as forming part of the Exotica movement.
• The music of American composer Raymond Scott is also recognized as a precursor to exotica, as several of his songs were written with the intent of transporting the listener to exotic locations via novelty instruments and sound effects.
• Arthur Lyman
• Korla Pandit – regarded as the "Godfather of Exotica."

External references

• Vegas Vics Tiki Lounge Podcast A free musical podcast featuring music from the exotica genre of artists such as Les Baxter, Arthur Lyman and Martin Denny.
• WAITIKI is one of the few new exotica bands in the world (Boston, MA, USA) performing both original music and covers. Another is Don Tiki of Honolulu, HI. Members of both bands have performed with Martin Denny.