Exotica Song Of The Month: October 2012

 

 

 

 

Kahuna Kawentzmann
Tabu
2012

 

 

 

 

 

A surf lifestyle afficionado, incidental advertisement jingle unleasher, tiki lounge DJ and skilled composer since 1988, Berlin-based Kahuna Kawentzmann may seemingly focus on the Surf Rock genre, but has experienced all the colorful styles and closely related subgenres of the Exotica world, from tikified concoctions over vintage escapism arrangements with his former band The Looney Tunes to Bossa Nova-infused Latinisms. This broad horizon is mirrored in one of Kawentzmann's latest takes on classic Exotica material. I have chosen his interpretation of Margarita Lecuona's (1895–1963) infamous lamento anthem Taboo – or Tabu – for many reasons, as this particular composition of 1934 by Ernesto Lecuona's niece has always been off-putting to me due to its heavily doleful mood, even more so in relation to other Exotica standards which evoke the many states of tropical glitz and paradisiac lushness much more efficiently than her piece. Thanks to Les Baxter's unbelievably dreamy take on his 1956 opus Caribbean Moonlight, he opened the gate for me and made me aware of an alternative stylistic range. Taboo does not ask the conductor or arranger to rely on its murkiness. Imaginativeness is the key. Since then, I haven't necessarily grown fond of many other renditions, but my interest has peeked nonetheless. And so it happens that I review Kahuna Kawentzmann's take with the most care and in a humble manner: can he add that particular something to the gloomy and potentially grave majesty of Lecuona's original, even though he doesn't conduct a large orchestra as one Mr. Baxter once did? Since this song is available on iTunes and CDbaby, you can easily find out for yourself. Oh, and I will give you my impressions as well, naturally.

 

Kawentzmann's uptempo take on Tabu launches with a partially aqueous, partially icy organ stream and the soft cymbals of a classic drum kit. The clicking tocks of the snare drums sound deliciously hollow and conflate with the organ hodgepodge in the background. The main melody as envisioned by Margarita Lecuona is first played by a chime-evoking electric piano and then accentuated by iridescent vibraphone glints and echoey clacking castanets. An oscillating electric guitar takes over, depicting sunset-colored or even outright nocturnal forlorn beach panoramas as suggested by the high amount of echoes. The five-note melody on the bass guitar complements the setting further. The warped guitar twangs tremble and shuttle, the evocation of a surfer's life is close at hand, even more so when a wah-wah effect is admixed. However, I wouldn't call this a proper Surf Rock example, as both the Lounge and the Exotica factors are boosted thanks to the dreamy vibraphone. During the middle of the song, things get truly interesting as Kawentzmann strays away from the formulaic setup of this classic thanks to improvised riffs that fit well with the setting. The song ends with a languorous mirage on the organ, the last instrument that is heard and which fades into the moon-lit night.

 

Statistically speaking, Tabu/Taboo is reviewed by me every other week in the Exotica section. Am I tired of it? No, not at all, as many arrangements provide interesting twists and cause me to ponder about each conductor's or artist's success in shaking off the lurking lugubrious atmosphere. Kahuna Kawentzmann's threefold blend of Lounge, Exotica and Surf Rock is intriguing due to its upbeat rhythm, the nightly soundscape thanks to the echoey guitars and the magnanimously dreamy infusion of the vibraphone-based luminescence. You seldom hear an electric guitar-based version of Lecuona's crucial contribution to the Exotica genre, so this take is all the more valuable. Since I am even listening to Exotica music while running and exercising, the tempo of this particular Tabu incarnation is very much appreciated. The lamenting tone sequences of Lecuona's original as envisioned on her piano are thus lessened and make room for the positive kind of a contemplative, deliberate loneliness. This is probably the most important achievement, as the melodramatic, heartbreaking isolation is nowhere to be found on this rendition. Everything remains perfectly in balance. Sure, it is just another version of Tabu if you're being sarcastic, but its place as the gold standard of the genre is undeniable, and Kawentzmann adds another page to its rich Jazz- and orchestra-based history.

 

 

 

 

Further reading and listening:

 

 

 

 

Exotica Song Of The Month Review for October 2012: Kahuna Kawentzmann – Tabu (2012). Originally published on Oct. 2, 2012 at AmbientExotica.com.