Denny, Johnny & Vinny

Okay, I've been really behind lately, so I need to get this out before the month of March is over. I meant to blog about it weeks ago, but got sidetracked with other things.

First off, musician Martin Denny, the father of the influential genre of pop called "Exotica," passed away earlier this month, at the age of 93. For those who are unfamiliar with the genre termed "Exotica," click the word to get an in depth explanation. A brief explanation via ookworld.com is: "Mood music incorporating elements evoking non-European / North American regions: Asia, India, Africa, South America, and the tropics in general. Though eventually outer space was involved as well."

Since I collect records, I actually am lucky enough to own some of Denny's records. Three to be exact: Exotica, Exotica III and The Enchanted Sea. My particular favorite songs include: Voodoo Love, The Enchanted Sea, Hypnotique, and Exotique Bossa Nova.

Denny was a true pioneer and I'm grateful that I was able to be exposed to his music and continue to collect his albums. Luckily, a lot of Denny's music is now available in CD format (personally, I still love the records). Click here, here, here, and here for links to some of the CDs available at Half.com.

To read some wonderful newspaper articles from Denny's home state of Hawaii, go here:
• The Honolulu Advisor
• Honolulu Star Bulletin

Also feel free to check out the Martin Denny links in the Music category on my Links list.

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In addition to Denny's passing, two of my favorite people celebrated their birthdays in the month of March: Johnny Knoxville turned 34 on March 11th, while Vince Vaughn turned 35 on March 28th. Birthday kisses all around!