Show This Sunday - March 16 - News from Okonkuluku
Current mood: adventurous
Category: Music

Okonkuluku!

Come see a special show by The New WAITIKI Sextet: Sunday evening, March 16 (doors at 9p.m.); We perform at the Enormous Room in Central Square, Cambridge MA ($5 cover). The Professah, The Mayor, Laughing Boy, and Mistress Helenini will be joined by the enchanting Winnie Dahlgren on vibraphone and Latin percussionist Ricardo Monson. Heck, we'll even have some Mystery Guests and maybe prizes too!

By your request, we'll be playing some new tunes; classic exotic arrangements of Martin Denny & Les Baxter, performed Live in 'Exoticolor.'

We'll be selling limited edition copies of "Rendezvous in Okonkuluku" on CD and Vinyl — these albums recently won us our 2nd Hawaii Music Awards for "Exotica Album of the Year."
Coming in late Spring 2008

A comic book whodunnit featuring us! Who's been sweetening the bitters of Okonkuluku? Find out in the debut issue of our 'zine, hand illustrated & produced by newlywed team Steve & Lenore Koppelman (aka "Tikilicious"), as they begin their endeavors together in their new business called Hey Boy! Hey Girl!

We have a new website in the works and some other goodies in store; keep watching this newsletter for more announcements about WAITIKI — exotic tiki-tainment from Polynesia to Boston!
Become a Student at WAITIKI's O.K.U.

Okonkuluku University is now accepting applications for its incoming class for next fall. Any takers? Email us at oku@waitiki.com for details — incoming students receive discounts on WAITIKI shows and more!

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New album press release, our 5/23 CD release party, Tampa tour coverage, and more!
Category: Music

Okonkuluku all ye villagers!

It's finally time to announce our brand new record - literally! That's right, "Rendezvous in Okonkuluku" (RIO) is at the press and will be released on 5/23/07 (Yup, a Wednesday) at our old standby, the Milky Way in Jamaica Plain. Joining us will be the middle-eastern sounds of ZilZALA (zilzala.com) and the "Triple-S" exotic WAITIKI Wahine dancers, Shakti, Sarah, and Samarra.

The Wednesday CD Release will be followed up with a 12" vinyl release (limited edition print, including a bonus track and different artwork). Eventually, the full album will be on iTunes as well. You can PRE-ORDER the CD now ($15 coconuts) online via PayPal/Credit Card too.

PRESS RELEASE: http://www.waitiki.com/cdrelease
CD INFO: http://waitiki.com/rendezvous-in-okonkuluku.cfm

TAMPA TOUR COVERAGE:
Tampa , FL was a blast last week. We played a great show at Skipper's Smokehouse which was off the hook - a great "down by the bayou" kinda hang. The next day, we participated in the awesome Tropical Heatwave festival put on by WMNF radio - a great community station with lots of local listener support. The southern hospitality was great (mahalo to Randy Wynne and Lindalu especially)! The entire trip was topped off with a killer feast at the newly-named "Rusty Key" tiki bar in Pablus' backyard. Delish kau-kau accompanied a great grog selection of Concubines, Planet of the Apes, and Scorpions - all served in Pablus' collection of approved containers (see photos). TikiCentral in the house!

Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30459236@N00/
Bradenton Herald newspaper article:  http://www.waitiki.com/press.cfm

Please come hang with us on Wednesday, 5/23/07 at 9pm and we'll see you in Okonkuluku!

Mahalo,
WAITIKI
http://waitiki.com

Exotic Tiki-tainment from Polynesia and Beyond

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Show reminder: This Sunday @ the Enormous Room (Cambridge, MA - Central SQ)
Current mood: chipper
Category: Music

Okonkuluku fellow villagers and students!

Come lounge with WAITIKI, Brother Cleve, the Orchestrotica, and your favorite cocktail (including Vodka and Fresca - Esquivel's "New Taste Sensation") at...

The Enormous Room (enormous.tv)
Sunday, 5/6/07 @ 9pm / $5
567 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02139
(Central Square, above Central Kitchen)

View the flyer

Details: 2 live sets of exotica/lounge, some video from our Mexico/Esquivel performance with the 21-pc WAITIKI "Orchestrotica," and Brother Cleve spinning his signature sound.

UPDATE ON "Rendezvous in Okonkuluku":
The new album will soon be available on CD, Vinyl, and Itunes. Audio mastering takes place next week!

mahalo,

The Village Elders of Okonkuluku, WAITIKI
http://www.waitiki.com
Exotic Tiki-tainment from Polynesia and Beyond


p.s. Okonkuluku University is still accepting students for the spring semester. Visit the OKU You Tube page for videos and info.

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New album almost ready...
Category: Music

Okonkuluku!

Our new album should be out in late May. We have a May 23, 2007 date booked in Boston as a tentative CD Release party. Stay tuned for the new Rendezvous in Okonkuluku!

MAhalo,
WAITIKI

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Aloha from Hawaii; our NEW album; Florida + Boston shows, and news
Category: Music

Aloha and Okonkuluku from WAITIKI!

We're in 84-degree Waikiki right now,  and it's a beautiful night to reintroduce exotica to one of its birthplaces. This evening is the ceremony for the Hawaii Music Awards; we'll be receiving an award for Exotica Album of the Year, and sharing a table with some of exotica's first families: The Denny Family, Lyman Family, and other friends!  We are very excited to have the exotica category introduced into the awards for the first time since the HMA began.

MORE NEWS:

* "Charred Mammal Flesh: Exotic Music for BBQ" is now available on iTunes! 

* May/June: our NEW ALBUM -- "Rendezvous in Okonkuluku" -- arrives (produced by Br. Cleve) - brand new exotica for 2007!

* April 6 - we join Through the Keyhole Burlesque for a show in Jamaica Plain, MA (@ The Milky Way Lounge)

* May 12 - live in Tampa, FL! (Tropical Heatwave music festival)

* June 12- live @ Block Island Music Festival (Block Island, RI)

* June 15-16 - live @ The Hukilau tiki festival. This will be our Florida CD release party and we will join Robert Drasnin's Voodoo 2 band

We hope to see you soon at a show!

Mahalo,
WAITIKI

Exotic Tiki-tainment from Polynesia and Beyond
http://www.waitiki.com

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WE STAY PUMPED FOR THE HAWAII MUSIC AWARDS!
Current mood: groggy

WE GOING HAVE ONE ALL-STAR BAND FOR THE COCKTAIL HOUR!!!!!!!


Mr. Ho (Brian) on Vibes
Space Kadet (Abe) on Drums
PHF (Randy) on Bass
LOPAKA COLON on Percussion & Birdcalls
SHERRY SHAOLING on Vocals

DAMMMMNNN! Lopaka & Sherry! Totally amazing!!! Holy fuck, I am soooo excited. Only thing that could be better is if Mistress Helenini, The Mayor (Tim), Laughing Boy (Mike Connors), Wolf Wortis and Cleve were here too! Then it'd be toooootally ridiculous, holy shit.

There's no better way to celebrate the starting of an "Exotica" category in the Hawaii Music Awards than to do it with those from whom the music originated. We are not so much celebrating Waitiki winning the Exotica Album award, as much as we are celebrating the creation of a category for it! And this has been done right here, at home in Hawaii, where exotica music was born.

We hope that the beginning of the exotica category will mean that many more exotica bands will flourish and help to carry on the legacy of Martin Denny, Arthur Lyman, Augie Colon, Les Baxter, Robert Drasnin, and all musicians who help to create other worlds and other sounds.

OKONKULUKU!!!!!!!!!

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WAITIKI wins for
Category: Music

We won ! THe Hawaii Music Awards voting for 2006 is complete and we won "Best Album: Exotica category" ! http://www.hawaiimusicawards.com

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New album recording Feb5/6!
Category: Music

New album recording session starts tomorrow! WIsh us okonkulukulian luck as we go into the studio creating new exotica for all the malihini !

WAITIKI

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WAITIKI nominated for 2 Hawaii Music Awards - PLEASE VOTE!
Category: Music

WAITIKI Nominated for two 2007 Hawaii Music Awards!

Our debut record, "Charred Mammal Flesh: Exotic Music for BBQ" (CMF) has been nominated for a 2007 Hawaii Music Award! We have also been nominated as best new artist for 2006. (Update: If voting site down, please check back later. 1/18/07

• Vote once for our album (category: exotica) in the left column
• Vote once for "New Artist of the Year" in the right column

Vote for WAITIKI now!

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Come see us in cambridge on Tues, 1/16 at Ryles
Current mood: amused

Aloha villagers of Okonkuluku!

Where else can you get triple-x eXXXotic tikitainment than at Ryles Jazz Club in Cambridge, MA next Tuesday? There is still hot weekday entertainment in the People's Republic of Cambridge, contrary to what you might read in the Okonkuluku Daily. So, come out and check out our 1st show of 2007 - $9 gets you about 10,800 seconds of new and old exotica classics served with CHARRED MAMMAL FLESH (the edible and listenable) will be on hand! We also may preview songs from our next record due out this spring called PXZOKWPWOE JKSADAKW (decoder ring required).

Tues, 1/16
Ryles Jazz Club - Cambridge, MA
212 Hampshire St
Cambridge, MA (Inman Square, parking available)
617.254.5021

See you there! If not, stay tunes for a new CD, potential Orchestrotica shows this spring, another Mexico tour, a DVD release, and a very special surprise event!

mahalo!
WAITIKI
--
http://www.waitiki.com
Exotic Tikitainment from Polynesia and Beyond

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