Zouk (club)

Zouk is a nightclub in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. The club is named after the French Creole word for 'party'.

Locations

The sister club of Zouk in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, opened in 2004.

The three old warehouses that make up the original Zouk were built in 1919 on the Singapore River. Thoroughly renovated, the houses now feature three interconnected clubs:

• Zouk (1991), with a large dancefloor and state-of-the-art sound and lighting, catering to a variety of artists
• Velvet Underground (1994), a quieter, more relaxed lounge that plays house and soul
• Phuture (1996), a more avant-garde bar specializing in broken beats.

The clubs have proven popular with Singapore's party-going crowd and regularly attract performers from all over the world. Its famous Mambo Jambo theme nights are considered a must-go for a beginning clubber.

In 2004, Zouk opened a sister club at Ampang Road (Jalan Ampang) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Zouk KL features four rooms: Zouk and Velvet Underground styled on the original, plus the Loft and Terrace bars.

A beach dance party called ZoukOut is organised at Sentosa in December each year. On December 10 2005, 18,000 people attended the party. ZoukOut 2006 outdone itself once again drawing a record 20,000 party-goers to Sentosa on December 11 2006.^[1]

Mambo Jambo

Mambo Jambo, commonly known as Mambo nights, is a theme clubbing night held every Wednesday at Zouk in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, as well as being held every Saturday night at Double O. It is highly popular among the younger segment of the clubbing crowd in Singapore, and a Mambo experience is often regarded as an initiation ritual for many beginners into the local clubbing scene.

Origins and Development as a clubbing institution

While Zouk Club's vision was to introduce house music into Singapore, the concept of house music was not well-entrenched in the Asian clubbing landscape. Thus in order to make house music more appealing to the Singapore crowd, it introduced a blend of music which incorporated pop hits from the 70s and 80s with house music which were to be played every Wednesday night. Never seen as a long term plan, this retro theme night however became increasingly popular with the clubbing crowd and became one of the main highlights of the Singapore’s clubbing week event list. It eventually became the most well patronised weekday event in the Singapore clubbing scene.

Music Type

Mambo Jambo is a spin of the term mumbo jumbo which fittingly described the type of music peculiar to the theme night. It began with a somewhat unorthodox mix of 70s and 80s pop hits and house and over the years, it evolved and incorporated rock, dance and hip hop. A huge hit with the local clubbers, many imitators tried to follow the ‘retro’ theme formula with relatively lesser success. Zouk remained the standard bearer for this unique clubbing experience in Singapore.

Special Dance Moves

There are numerous songs that are well received by the clubbing club. However, the most popular are those that will rouse the crowd to making their peculiar dance moves. These moves, usually restricted to hand and upper body movements, are usually expressed in sync with the songs' progression and lyrics. Some of these songs includes Bananarama's Love in the First Degree, Jason Donovan's Too Many Broken Hearts and Rick Astley's Together forever.

Example: Belinda Carlisle's Summer Rain (taken from Dylan Boey's Mambo Rocks article, published 8-Aug-04)

Step #1 Chorus: 'Oh my love, it's you...' Your move: Bring both hands together to form a 'heart' over your left bosom, then use your right hand to point at 'you'.

Step #2 Chorus: 'that I dream of...' Your move: Bring your right hand up and point to your right temple.

Step #3 Chorus: 'Oh my love, since that day...' Your move: Bring both hands together to form a 'heart' over your left bosom, then raise your right hand upwards, palm facing up.

Step #4 Chorus: 'somewhere in my heart, I'm always...' Your move: Bring your hands together and make a heart shape over your left bosom, then clap twice in rhythm with 'always'.

Step #5 Chorus: 'dancing with you in the summer rain...' Your move: With both hands half-raised and your index finger and thumb pinched together, make little circles as you twirl your hands around for 'dancing'. When the chorus goes 'summer rain', stretch out your hands and make little ripples with your fingers as if simulating a shower of rain.

Mambo Jambo- The Album

In 1998, Zouk Club together with Avex Trax Asia Limited produced a compilation of Mambo Jambo mix.

Track listing

1. Let The Music Play - Shannon
2. Walking Away - Information Society
3. Bauhaus - Cappella
4. Ride on Time - Black Box
5. Theme from S'Express - S'Express
6. Tubthumping - Chumbawamba
7. Call Me - Spagna
8. Together Forever - Rick Astley
9. Love in the First Degree - Bananarama
10. Square Rooms - Al Corley
11. Batucuda - DJ Dero
12. Samba De Janeiro - Bellini
13. BG Tips, You should be dancing - E-Sensual
14. YMCA - Village People
15. Gimme Hope Joanna - Eddy Grant
16. Together in Electric Dreams - Giogio Morader & Phillip Oakley
17. Summer Rain - Belinda Carlisle
18. Here Comes the Rain Again - Eurythmics
19. Magic Carpet Ride - Mighty Dub Katz
20. Lost in Emotion - Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
21. Give It Up - KC and the Sunshine Band
22. A Little Respect - Erasure

Mambo Jambo - The Phenomenon

File:Mambojambo.jpg

CD Cover

In 2007, Zouk Club together with Warner Music Group produced a compilation of Mambo Jambo mix. This album is a tribute to the 15 years of the night, its cult following that has kept the energy alive, and the unparalleled spirit that is Mambo Jambo. Notably, the album release was entirely mixed from vinyl by Zouk Resident DJs in order to reflect the true spirit of the night.

Track listing

1. Dying Inside To Hold You - Timmy Thomas
2. You Sexy Thing - Hot Chocolate
3. Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry
4. Call Me - Spagna
5. Never Gonna Give You Up - Rick Astley
6. Blame It On The Boogie - Big Fun
7. Bizarre Love Triangle - New Order
8. Love In The First Degree - Bananarama
9. Let's Go - Wang Chung
10. Sexbomb - Tom Jones with Mousse T
11. I Heard A Rumour - Bananarama
12. Together In Electric Dreams - Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder
13. You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) - Dead or Alive
14. Mony Mony - Billy Idol
15. Push It - Salt-N-Pepa
16. Horny - Mousse T vs Hot 'N' Juicy
17. Rock This Party (Everybody Dance Now) - Bob Sinclar Feat. Dollarman & Big Ali
18. Don't Call Me Baby - Madison Avenue
19. Can't Take My Eyes Off You - Boystown Gang
20. La Bamba - Los Lobos
21. Mambo No 5 - Lou Bega

Songs List

A list of songs which include the albums frequently played during mambo night.

Abba - Dancing Queen
Ace of Base - All That She Wants
Ace of Base - I Saw The Sign
Adam Ant - Room at the Top
Aha - Take On Me
Al Corley - Square Room

Backstreet Boys - As Long As You Love Me
Backstreet Boys - Larger Than Life
Bananarama - I Heard A Rumour
Bananarama - Love In The First Degree
Bananarama - Venus
Baltimora - Tarzan Boy
Bellini - Samba De Janeiro
Belinda Carlisle - Summer Rain
Belinda Carlisle - Leave A Light On
Big Fun - Blame It On The Boogie
Billy Joel - Mony Mony
Billy Joel - Uptown Girl
Black Machine - How Gee
Bon Jovi - Everyday
Bon Jovi - It's My Life
Bon Jovi - You Give Love a Bad Name
Boy Krazy - That's What Love Can Do
Buggles - Video Killed the Radio Star

Camouflage - The Great Commandment
Chumbawamba - Tubthumping
Climie Fisher - Love Changes Everything
Culture Club - Karma Chameleon

Debbie Gibson - Shake Your Love
Denice Williams - Let's Hear It For The Boy
Donna Summer - This Time I Know It's For Real

Earth, Wind & Fire - September
Eddie Grant - Gimme Hope Joanna
Eighth Wonder - Cross My Heart
Erasure - Give A Little Respect
Eurythmics - Here Comes The Rain Again
Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams

Frakie Valli - Can't Take My Eyes Off You

Guns And Roses - Sweet Child Of Mine

Hugh Grant - Pop Goes My Heart
Hot Chocolate - You Sexy Thing
Human League - Don't You Want Me Baby
Human League - Together In Electric Dreams

Janet Jackson - Escapade
Jason Donnovan - Too Many Broken Hearts
Jennifer Lopez - Waiting for Tonight
Jennifer Lopez - Let's Get Loud
Joan Jett - I Hate Myself For Loving You
Joan Jett - I Love Rock & Roll

Kon Kan - I Beg Your Pardon
Kim Wilde - You Came
Kylie Minogue - Can't Get You Out Of My Head
Kylie Minogue - I Should Be So Lucky

Laura Branigan - Self Control
Lisa Lisa And The Cult Jam - Lost In Emotion
Los Del Rio - Macarena
Lou Bega - Mambo No. 5

M.A.N - Stay
Madonna - Holiday
Madonna - Just Like a Prayer
Madison Avenue - Don't Call Me Baby
Micheal Jackson - Black Or White

New Order - Bizzare Love Triangle

Richie Valens - Labamba
Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up
Rick Astley - Together Forever
Rick Astley - Whenever You Need Somebody

Pet Shop Boys - Go West
Pet Shop Boys - Opportunities

Queen - I Want to Break Free

Sabrina - Boys Boys Boys
Savage Garden - I Want You Back
Spagna - Call Me
Stevie B - Sending All My Love

Taylor Dayne - Tell It To My Heart
Tears for Fears - Hold Me Now
Tears for Fears - Shout
The Wonders - That Thing You Do
Timmy Thomas - Dying Inside To Hold You
Tom Jones - Sexbomb
Toploader - Dancing In The Moonlight

Van McCoy - Do The Hustle
Vengaboys - Shalala Lala
Village People - YMCA

Wang Chung - Everyone Have Fun Tonight
Wang Chung - Let's Go
When In Rome - The Promise
Whitney Houston - How Will I Know
Wiseguys - Start The Commotion

Yvonne Elliman - If I Can't Have You

See also

• Zouk (Style of music)

References

• ^ "ZoukOut 2006 outdone itself drawing a record 20,000 party-goers to Sentosa". Channel NewsAsia. 10 December 2006.
• ^ "ZoukOut draws record 18,000 party-goers from Singapore and region". Channel NewsAsia. 11 December 2005.
• Boey, Dylan. Mambo Rocks in Sunday Times 8th August 2004. Singapore: SPH.
• DJ Adam Low. (1998) Mambo Jambo Wednesday Night Live. Singapore: Avex Trax.

External links

• Zouk (Singapore)
• Zouk (Kuala Lumpur)
• Zouk (Mumtazz.com)
• Top 5 nightspots in Singapore