Mr. Ho’s Orchestrotica Mini plays the mid-century polynesian pop music known as exotica, or tiki music. A mixture of jazz, latin, polynesian, and "exotic" sounds, the group explores the exotica genre using vibes, percussion, bass flutes, and upright bass. In the 1950s and 1960s, exotica music became the lounge music of choice for “armchair” travelers, hi-fi lovers, cocktail-party hosts, and anyone else obsessed with modern living, polynesian-pop culture, and “exotic” far-away places. Mr. Ho leads the Orchestrotica Mini on vibes and percussion and also composes modern exotica highly-influenced by sounds from around the world (and beyond!) For special events, Mr. Ho’s Orchestrotica swells to a 21-piece band and is the world's only performer of the space-age bachelor pad big band music of Esquivel.
If you like Arthur Lyman, Martin Denny, Equivel, Cal Tjader, and Milt Raskin, you'll enjoy the exotic sounds of Mr. Ho’s Orchestrotica Mini. Get on the mailing list to hear about new shows and the latest in tiki music!
| Track | Listen | Description | Length | Free download |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maika |
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|
By Milt Raskin. Live track, 12/2009. |
3:58 | Download |
| China Clipper |
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|
By Martin Denny. Live track, 12/2009 |
5:11 | Download |
| Arab Dance, from the Nutcracker |
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|
By P. Tchaikovsky. Adapted by Mr. Ho. 12/2009 |
3:29 | Download |
| Now is the Time |
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|
By L. Welk. Live track, 12/2009 |
4:33 | Download |
Core musicians
- Mr. Ho (Brian O'Neill): Bandleader, composer, vibes, percussion
- Alec Derian: bass
- Geni Skendo: flute, c-flute, shakuhachi
- Noriko Terada: percussion, vibes
Contact us
- Contact us to book the band
- More about Brian O'Neill (Artistic Director) at crashandboom.com
Photos by James Goncalves