Don Tiki is the keeper of the flame of the almost extinct volcano of Exotic… Read Full Bio ↴Don Tiki is the keeper of the flame of the almost extinct volcano of Exotica music. When the red glow of Tiki torches was snuffed out in lounges and bachelor pads alike, the exotic sounds of Marty, Artie, and Les (Martin Denny, Arthur Lyman and Les Baxter) also dimmed. But in a recent wave of appreciation, their haunting melodies have been unearthed again and used to conjure up lost Tiki Temples in the minds of their gently hypnotized listeners. Don Tiki is the lineage of this tradition, living on in whimsical reverie and reverence. In this day and age, we are all aware that paradise on earth does not exist. Yet the need for it is eternal and can be playfully indulged in. Tiki bars are being erected again in city centers, living room corners and office cubicles, where the sultry rhythms of Exotica resound. Don Tiki is providing the soundtrack for this Technicolor projection of a Polynesian pop paradise. - Sven A. Kirsten

Don Tiki is a creative collaboration of Fluid Floyd (Lloyd Kandell) and Perry Coma (Kit Ebersbach). The band features Hawaii's top musicians with cumulative experience ranging from jazz fusion to world beat to the Honolulu Symphony to the crassest Waikiki Showrooms. A touring ensemble complete with swaying dancers is set to hit the road to Rio, the road to Bali, and from here to eternity with a swanky and exotic revue. This music will transport you to an island paradise where sensual tropical fantasies still exist - especially after that fourth Singapore Sling. So lean back, lick that swizzle stick and enjoy... The Forbidden Sounds of Don Tiki!

Don Tiki
Perry Coma - keyboards, shaman de musique
Fluid Floyd - your congenial host
Delmar deWilde - vocals
Hai Jung - bass, seductive vocals
Carlinhos de Oliveira - amazon percussion
Jim Howard - flutes
Ryoko Oka - keyboards
Noel Okimoto - mallets, drums, percussion

Tiki Tribe
Fred Alcain - congas, bongos
Aaron Aronita - flutes
Sharene Boulos - harp
Lopaka Colon - percussion, birdcalls
Rachel Gonzales - vocals
Sky Perkins - vocals, hula
Stacey Tangonan - drums
Smilin’' Ben Vegas - guitar, vocals
Lana Warner - vocals

Restless Native dancers
Tunui - costume design, choreography
Kahi Dela Cruz, Julie De Mello, Peka Ibana, Michelle Izawa, Summer Jensen, Aalana Singh, Lokelani Tully

Extraordinary Special Guests
Jimmy Borges - vocals
Teresa Bright - vocals
Martin Denny - piano
Frank Q. Orrall - percussion, sample playback
Jake Shimabukuro - ukulele

Terminal
Don Tiki Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

In the final second
You are framed,
In the entrance
Of the terminal
Some device is ticking
It's between us,
Tocking away

Ciphers on the screen
Shining green
Inside your pupils
Delta-t is shrinking,
You are thinking
"Today"

I move in a sequence
You try to explain
You fool with your ticket
I'm boarding this plane

In the final second
You are framed,
In a trance,
At the terminal
Something loses gripping
The momentum
Slipping away

Always it is there
That you stare,
And you stop.
Taxi lights are winking,
You are thinking
"This way"

You're watching my movie,
You're on the next flight

The credits are fading
Dissolve into night

Overall Meaning

The song Terminal by Don Tiki is a haunting yet energetic tune exploring the moments just before a flight. The first stanza captures the tension and anxiety building up as the singer finds themselves in the final seconds before their departure. The ticking device between them and the cipher on the screen shining green represents the clock ticking away as the singer tries to process the reality of the moment. The second stanza paints a picture of the singer's attempts to explain themselves while they're boarding the plane. The line "you fool with your ticket, I'm boarding this plane" sums up the entirety of the song with its mix of uncertainty, urgency, and determination.

The final stanza hints at the possibility of the singer being in two places at once, watching the credits of this movie and being on the next flight to another destination. The lyrics suggest a sense of detachment from reality and a profound sense of uncertainty regarding the future. Still, the song manages to imbue this sense of anxiety with an air of quiet introspection that captures the essence of the moment.

Line by Line Meaning

In the final second
At the very end of our time together

You are framed,
You are stuck in a moment

In the entrance
At the beginning of your journey

Of the terminal
At the airport

Some device is ticking
Something is counting down

It's between us,
It is affecting both of us

Tocking away
Tick-tocking towards the end

Ciphers on the screen
Numbers and codes on the monitor

Shining green
Glaring in green color

Inside your pupils
Reflecting in your eyes

Delta-t is shrinking,
Time is running out