Saturday night was hectic in typical Hong Kong fashion. Dragon-i’s fifth anniversary began with a dinner at 8:30 followed by a special d.j. set by Boy George as the climax of the evening. I had to skip the dinner to attend a friend’s barbecue in Shek O, which is the farthest point out on Hong Kong Island. On the rare occasion that I’m in that part of town, I normally go to Big Wave Bay, which is a little more secluded than the often crowded Shek O beach. I must admit, I was reluctant to miss Dragon-i’s dinner to trek out to the opposite side of the island. But on Friday night, for a barbecue with a group of friends, the setting couldn’t have been more beautiful. (more…)

Saturday night I attended the Hong Kong leg of the Hennessy Artistry tour. The event featured big-name performers from around the region. Among the artists on stage were Human Nature (Australia,) Gary Chaw 曹格(Taiwan,) Tata Young (Thailand,) and Se7en 세븐(Korea). Check out the concert in photos! (more…)

Saturday night Tony Humphries hits Dragon-i for the first time. He’s truly a legendary d.j. who has been a top name in the club scene for over twenty years! A career like that spans many trends and multiple genres of music. If individual songs are like words in a d.j.’s vocabulary, this guy must be an eloquent speaker. I believe he plays a different brand of House music than other d.j.s that have visited Hong Kong recently, and I’m excited to hear him play.

Talking about legendary d.j.s, they don’t come much bigger, or more important than Grandmaster Flash! Flash is back for his second appearance at Dragon-i. He’ll be behind the decks on Wednesday, October 3rd. I was out of town the last time he visited and this time I don’t want to miss it! I’m curious if he’ll play a combination set of classic Hip Hop, breaks, and new music, or what? Pioneers like Flash understand crowds and rocking parties better than anyone. Expect a big turnout.

I was attending a birthday party at HALO on Wednesday night, so I arrived at Dragon-i towards the end of d.j. Cash Money’s set. He’s been to Hong Kong several times over the past three years, and he plays a combination of classics mixed with the latest Hip Hop hits. (more…)

Saturday night at Dragon-i featured a stage crowded with drums for Luisito Quintero, the man behind many of Louie Vega’s incredible beats.

Luisito is a heavyweight percussionist who has worked with legends such as Tito Puente, George Benson and Herbie Hancock to name just a few. He’s also a consummate showman - managing to smile in mid-drumming as I photographed him!

During the course of the night Luisito jumped from drum to drum improvising beats over Masters At Work classics spun by Gilbert Yeung, Dragon-i’s owner and music director. Once again credit needs to be given to Gilbert for putting Hong Kong on the map with contemporary world-class musical talent. The place was filled, despite a heavy rainstorm.

Next up is A-list d.j. and re-edit master Danny Krivit on Saturday, June 16th. (For those of you who don’t know, re-editing involves taking classic songs and making them even better by accentuating their special qualities). Mark your calendars!

Volar solidified its reputation as Hong Kong’s top club for cutting-edge d.j. / performers by hosting French dynamic duo Justice, and Ed Banger label owner Busy P on Friday night.

Volar vs. Dragon-i

Competition in club-land is a good thing for music lovers. Volar has recently carved out a successful niche. While Dragon-i brings classic d.j. / producers such as the legends, Little Louie Vega and D.J. Jazzy Jeff, Volar has differentiated themselves by bringing the most up-to-date d.j. acts around. In the past year they have brought forth a smorgasbord of new talents. (more…)

In perhaps the most celebrity-filled event since the Hong Kong Film Awards, Dragon-i hosted the launch of Rio Active Mints, a new luxury mint brand founded by Daniel Zigal, Alastair Lam, and Jaycee Chan.

At the entrance to the event there were five jars of samples to try. I snagged a few boxes with exotic flavor combinations such as guarana and berries, and lemongrass with ginseng. One word to describe them - addictive! Not only are the flavors enticing, but the packaging is both convenient and fun. You release a mint by sliding the metal box-top in a motion similar to opening a mobile phone.

Dragon-i has been host to some wild, raging parties over the last four years, and this one ranks among the top of them. (more…)

Saturday was another busy night and I was feeling a little under the weather. After playing at Volar I still managed to catch New York House D.J. Joe Clausell at Dragon-i and the Uptown Rockers at Yumla.

Joe Clausell was back at Dragon-i for his second appearance. This time around he was going berserk with the equalizer, constantly remixing the highs and lows of each song on the go. I’ve actually never seen someone move so fast twisting the e.q.s with that kind of dexterity and passion. It was almost as if he was dancing with the mixer! The music he played was soulful house, much better than the garden variety often served up by other big-name d.j.s. Dragon-i was not only treated to world class song selection but an energetic and uncommon mixing performance.

I had forgotten that my friends the Uptown Rockers were spinning at Yumla on Saturday night. People go crazy when these guys play. The Uptown Rockers are made up of three people Drafus (El Kabong) Sean (the Prawn) and Simon Pang. (more…)

Dragon-i, Hong Kong’s top venue for international d.j.s has been in overdrive recently with a constant stream of big musical acts. In addition to D.J.s, last week featured Ultra Nate, one of the premier voices in club music.

Last night, L.A. based four-turntable duo Haul and Mason returned to Dragon-i for their second performance in Hong Kong. Their set featured elaborate mixes of classic West Coast Hip Hop in addition to mainstream Hip-Pop classics. The intricate sound collages were perhaps lost on most listeners who were too busy dancing!

Last week D.J. Disciple, a top house d.j. also graced the club. Coming up on May 12th is the return of Joe Causell who played a spectacular set at Dragon-i last year.

In between the F.I.L. store opening and an event for Rio Mints, I stopped by my friend Eyedie Tai’s photo exhibition. The show was held at Philia Lounge which is located on Arbuthnot Road, just up the street from Hong Kong’s top club, Dragon-i, in Central. Active as a photographer, a model, and a socialite, Eyedie is a well known face around Hong Kong.

Eyedie’s last exhibition held at Kee Club several years ago was heavy on portraits and Moments Voles II is the same. Though the show contains a mixture of material, perhaps the majority of attention went to a collection of portraits featuring several of Hong Kong’s most beautiful celebrity / actress / models including Nissa, Gaile, Lisa S., Amanda Strang, and Isabella Leong.

Rather than straight fashion shots, the photos here have a distinct candid feeling. Accurately titled “Stolen Moments” in French, the result is an exhibition with a casual, relaxed warmth that accentuates the feminine beauty of her subjects. (more…)