【コラム】コルラ・パンディットとエキゾチカの幻影：ポスト戦後アメリカの夢と仮面

Column en 70s Exotica History Lounge

02 Nov 2025

Prologue: What was exotica?

Text: mmr｜Theme: Exploring the role of Korla Pandit in the nascent period of exotica and the aesthetics of Orientalism in postwar American culture

Korla Pandit at the organ Source: Wikipedia - Korla Pandit

America in the 1950s. A music called Exotica appeared at a time when television was common in homes and the Cold War and prosperity coexisted. It was a sonic expression of Orientalism, depicting “foreign countries” such as the South Pacific, Asia, and Africa as imaginary paradises.

Tiki culture, Hawaiian bars, rumba rhythms, and exotic melodies. In the center was the mysterious keyboard player “Korla Pandit”.

[Chapter 1: The mysterious man named Korla Pandit] (#Chapter 1)
[Chapter 2: Postwar America and “Foreign Dreams”] (#Chapter 2)
[Chapter 3: The Birth of Exotica Music - From Les Baxter to Martin Denny] (#Chapter 3)
[Chapter 4: Idols of the TV Age - The Shock of “Korla Pandit Show”] (#Chapter 4)
[Chapter 5: The Truth Behind the Mask - Confessions of John Rowland] (#Chapter 5)
[Chapter 6: Reverberations of Exotica - From Longines Symphonette to Lo-Fi Revival] (#Chapter 6)
[Chapter 7: Modern Reappraisal and Cultural Dislocation] (#Chapter 7)
[Chronology: Korla Pandit and the History of Exotica Music (1940–2020)] (#Chronology)
Charts and Analysis
[Conclusion: Between fiction and truth] (#Conclusion)

Chapter 1: A mysterious man named Korla Pandit {#Chapter 1}

In 1948, Korla Pandit was the “Prince of India” who appeared on Los Angeles television station KTLA. He wears a turban, looks deep into the camera, and plays the Hammond organ.His fingers danced smoothly across the keys, and he didn’t say a word.

However, in the late 1990s, shocking facts were revealed in the documentary film Korla (2014). His real name was John Roland Redd, and he was African American.

This “story of the mask” goes beyond a simple stage name anecdote. It brings to light the triple structure of race, foreign countries, and art in postwar American society.

Chapter 2: Postwar America and “foreign dreams” {#Chapter 2}

In America in the early 1950s, in the shadow of victory in World War II and the Cold War, ``A yearning for the unknown’’ = Exoticism has become a cultural boom.

``South Pacific’’ (1958) was a big hit in Hollywood.
Tiki bars became popular in homes, and bamboo furniture and tropical-patterned curtains filled the dreams of the common man.
In terms of music, Latin, Hawaiian, Arabian, and Indian music were consumed as “fantasy background music.”

In this context, the Pandit’s silence and mask came to symbolize an idealized “foreign tranquility.”

Chapter 3: The Birth of Exotica Music - From Les Baxter to Martin Denny {#Chapter 3}

timeline title Genealogy of exotica music 1940 : Les Baxter's "Ritual of the Savage" appears 1957 : Martin Denny “Exotica” hit 1958 : Arthur Lyman "Taboo" 1961 : Yma Sumac “Legend of the Sun Virgin” 1990 : Re-evaluation by Combustible Edison

Les Baxter’s 1952 album “Ritual of the Savage” It laid the foundation for the later sounds of Martin Denny and Arthur Lyman. There, percussion instruments, bird calls, gamelan, and chimes intermingled to create an acoustic version of the ``imaginary South Seas.’’

Pandits, on the other hand, focus more on religious and spiritual aspects, He pioneered a unique path of ``meditative and euphoric organ music.’’

Reference/Source:

Chapter 4: Idols of the Television Age - Impact of “Korla Pandit Show” {#Chapter 4}

The Korla Pandit Show, which aired from 1951, was one of the first American music television shows. The production, which was constructed using only sight and sound without uttering words, provided a ``safe foreign country’’ for white viewers at the time.

Pundit has had more than 1,000 broadcasts, giving her more television exposure than her contemporaneous Nat King Cole. However, the fact that he was only able to succeed by hiding his identity as a black artist; It is also a symbolic anecdote that illustrates the relationship between entertainment and racism.

Chapter 5: The Truth Behind the Mask - Confessions of John Rowland {#Chapter 5}

In 1998, according to an article published by Los Angeles Magazine, Pandit’s true identity is revealed to be John Roland Redd.

He was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1916 and became an accomplished pianist in his teens. While working at a radio station in the 1940s, he created the fictional setting of an ``Indian prince.’’

Rather than being a “black musician” in a discriminatory era, I can be accepted as a “foreign aristocrat”. It was a strategic disguise for a painful reality.

Chapter 6: Reverberations of Exotica - From Longines Symphonette to Lo-Fi Revival {#Chapter 6}

After the 1970s, exotica was once forgotten. However, in the 1990s, a re-evaluation began with the Lounge revival movement.

Combustible Edison
Esquivel reissue CD
Sampling by DJ Shadow and Beck

These waves of reappraisal also belatedly shed light on Pandit. Since the 2000s, his videos and records have been rediscovered as collector’s items.

Chronology: Korla Pandit and Exotic Music History (1940–2020)

Year	Events
1916	John Roland Redd (later Korla Pandit) is born
1948	Starts appearing on TV, using the name “Korla Pandit” on KTLA
1951	“Korla Pandit Show” begins broadcasting
1957	Martin Denny’s “Exotica” tops the charts
1960	The height of the exotica boom in America
1970	Fewer TV appearances, performing in Las Vegas and other places
1998	True identity revealed
2014	Movie “Korla” released
2020	His recordings are reissued and archived

Chart: Diffusion of exotica culture

graph TD A[Hollywood movie] --> B[Exotica music] B --> C[Tiki culture] C --> D[Lifestyle consumption] B --> E [Modern Lo-Fi Sound] E --> F[Chillout / Vaporwave]

Conclusion: Between fiction and truth

Korla Pandit’s life was at the intersection of artistic creation and social constraints. His silence may have been the most eloquent protest of all.

The sounds of exotica are not just “tropical BGM”. It was a fantasy device to fill the void in the hearts of post-war Americans.

Behind the mask that symbolizes that fantasy, there was the pain and dream of a black pianist. We can finally find out now.

Reference/Source

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Column en 70s Exotica History Lounge