Bali Musro - 7th Anniversary

Musro, one of Kuta’s longest standing clubs, celebrated their 7th birthday, this year focusing on their many hospitality and travel industry colleagues, who received special invitations. Ocean 9 band performed Top 40 favourites and at 9.15pm, Musro’s general manager Susi blew out the candles on a gargantuan pink birthday cake, before the techno kicked in

The Kuta Karnival 2007

The Kuta Karnival has been a highlight of the Bali events calendar since its inception in 2003. Developed as a response to the tragic bombings that occurred the year before, the Karnival was intended to celebrate all that is good about Kuta and to help revive its then flagging fortunes.
Four years on and Kuta is not only booming, but evolving too, with a raft of new venues adding a veneer of sophistication that’s managed to breakdown the invisible divide with its trendy neighbour, Seminyak. The Karnival too continues to evolve, though its original raison d’etre has probably changed somewhat. 2007 turned out to be a particularly challenging year for the Kuta Karnival. The steering committee had already agreed that if by June funding targets had not been met, the Karnival wouldn’t go ahead. With a major corporate sponsor pulling out and government funding not guaranteed, the decision to cancel had almost been made, but at the last minute, just enough government funding and corporate sponsorship came through to make the event feasible. This meant that both time and money were short, with the result that Kuta Karnival 2007 didn’t enjoy the kind of promotion nor high profile it had in previous years.

Meanwhile, the surf/skate industry, one of the mainstays of the Karnival, took a big step back due possibly the changes in management structure that now sees most of the big surf/skate brands running their Bali operations out of Australia. That, with Base Skate park already being established elsewhere, meant the impressive full skate area that graced Kuta beach last year was replaced by a smaller ramp for one single day of beach-based activities instead of a full week of it like years gone by.

Despite these challenges however, 23 different events still took place across a range of venues, most of them a great success. A number of corporate sponsors came on board to ensure that the beach was still a hive of activity, with Suzuki and local clothing brand Cardinal supporting the music side of things on the specially erected stage and various other sponsors both local and national offering their support. In addition, community organizations, charities and cultural and arts based initiatives were represented both on the beach and at the popular Bali Food Festival. An Islamic Festival taking place at Discovery Shopping Mall also fell under the Kuta Karnival Umbrella.
According to one of Kuta Karnival’s key organizers, Gilda Sagrado, the steering committee is looking at new ways of anchoring funding for next year to ensure there is ample time for proper promotion as well as a balanced program of events. “We’re putting together a book this year which will feature images from high profile international photographers,” she explains. “This should give us the kind of leverage we need to generate more funds.”

The question of sponsorship is not only a financial concern. Whilst funding from business may be welcome, it can become overbearing, with branding concerns eclipsing the community aspect that is supposed to be at the heart of Kuta Karnival. For example, it might be interesting to add a marquee to the legions of brand banners that are erected, or for sponsors to think of new ways of generating brand recognition and visibility through their support of the Kuta Karnival and not as a privilege gained from that support.
“Of course, to an extent you have to dance to your sponsor’s tune,” says Gilda, “money is not usually received until 3 months after the event and if they decide to make a complaint, they can reduce or even withhold payment.”
The aim next year is to achieve a broader portfolio of sponsors, with strong support from local and national government. “The DPRD (regional administration) has just committed to incorporating the Kuta Karnival into its yearly budget as a regular event,” says Nigel Geary, chairman of the Food Festival. “This should make things a lot easier next time round,” he adds. The Food Festival was a great success once again, with 15% more stall space and a brand new stage (hosted by The Beat Magazine) drawing greater numbers on both the Saturday and the Sunday. What’s more, a good 60% of attendees were locals, testament to the Food Fest’s cosmopolitan character.

In part, the kind of issues the Kuta Karnival currently faces are due to its seminal success. Since its inception, a slew of similar festivals have appeared, creating a veritable ‘party season’ from the latter part of August through early October. Sanur Village Festival in particular has made a splash since its inauguration in 2006, attracting major sponsorship and offering a broad range of activities and entertainment. Whilst there is bound to be competition between different areas, there is also the chance to co-operate in developing package style promotions highlighting festivals like Kuta Karnival, Sanur Village Festival, Nusa Dua Festival, Ubud Writer’s Festival. “We could use these different events together to help promote Bali at key events like the World Tourism Fair,” says Gilda.

The Kuta Karnival’s organizers should be commended for knuckling down under difficult circumstances and delivering if not the best or biggest Kuta Karnival, one that has the potential to act as a bridge and a guide to future events. Had it not gone ahead this year, it would surely have been a step backwards for all of us.

Hard Rock Cafe Bali ; Founders Day

June 14th
A celebration of the day on which the seminal shrine of rock n roll, food & fun first appeared on the radar some 36 years ago in London. In suitably retro mode, Hard Rock Bali opted for a seventies/eighties disco slash glam rock vibe, with staff in polka dot dresses, afro wigs and tight, garish shirts. Retro-maestros The Upstairs stunned with a barrage of synthesizers and new wave antics, while newcomers Changcuters were a revelation with their Rolling Stone/Strokes charisma and a look somewhere between overcooked mod and Ramones fan. Nice to see Hard Rock Cafe still pushing the envelope after 36 years.

Wonderland at Mal Bali Galeria

The 7th anniversary of the original Bali Shopping Mall: Mall Bali Galeria turned out to be a blast. There was one full week of massive discounts in all the shops, until things climaxed on Sunday the 30th with an amphitheater atmosphere featuring stiltwalkers, colorful tents and fireworks. It did really feel like stepping into a wonderland. The live bands kicked in at dusk, with performances by Kaimsasikun and The Hydrant, capped off with DJ Wilson. Now who said that Rock’n’Roll and shopping cant go hand in hand?

Q Bar 7th Anniversary

Bali’s original HQ of camp, Q Bar celebrated its 7th Anniversary with a James Bond 007 themed bash.Guests were entertained with fire dancers, muscle boys and playboy bunnies, plus free flow martini – shaken not stirred of course. Unfortunately Pussy Galore couldn’t make it, but there were plenty of men with Golden Guns in their pockets.

Diva La Disco at Hu'u

It’s not the first time Bali’s seen a diva singinng a capella alongside a DJ, but Diva La Disco have the act down pat. Singer Mizmoni comes from a gospel background and her rich voice brought a whole new dimension to colleague Alex Botar’s house grooves. Mizmoni also had a lot of charisma, inviting guests to sing along with her and filling the dancefloor with gyrating bodies in no time.

Hard Rock Cafe ; Soul ID

Bali’s hip hop community was there, looking for hip hop sound that’s rarely seen in Bali. Yacko, a newcomer female rapper, was the opening act and she got the crowd going. Soul.Id was next. The hip hop songs were good and their energy was awesome, but when they break down to RnB, the crowd wasn’t feeling it. The show was closed with a crowd choir to their remake of Ini Rindu (This Longing) and Branuday.

July 6th 2007

MBarGo : Pretty In Pink on June 28th

Some looked prettier than others in their pink get up, but no matter, MBarGo went off like a bucket of prawns in the sun, with the DJs throwing down remixes of classic R&B and Hip Hop while go-go dancers kept it hot and pink on the bar.

Bali Dining Festival

HSBC has teamed up with The Bali Tourism Board, Bali Hotel Association, Bali Culinary Professionals and Garuda Indonesia to create Bali’s first major culinary event “The Bali Dining Festival 2007”. The event will be held throughout the month of August in featured dining establishments in Bali like La Sal, Blossom, Hu’u Bar, Kaizan and many more with programs like The Passport to Delight, The Culinary, The Chefs Master Classes and last but not least, the festival finishes with island-wide Gala Dinners on 31st August.

Castaway Party

Absent for 2006, Bali’s biggest rave party returns this year and word is it’s going to be bigger than ever. Still no details from the committee about who’s going to play or perform, but we can tell you that the Castaway party will be held on 16th of August at Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park. Mark your calendar people, as this is going to be huge. More details as soon as we have them.

Mekare-kare at Tenganan

For two days at the end of June, within the walled stronghold of Tenganan, a large crowd gathered to cheer on the ritual ‘mekare-kare’…

Tenganan is one of Bali’s original pre-Hindu settlements; a unique, 700-year-old village, hidden in the hills three kilometres north of Candi Dasa in East Bali. Here, the 300 residents – the Bali Aga people – practise a time-honoured lifestyle based around ritual and ceremony, bound by strict ‘adat’ (customary law) practices to maintain purity.

The mekare-kare is an annual theatrical fight between the young men of the village, utilising prickly pandanus leaf whips! Each dual is staged to the intense martial sounds of ‘gamelan selonding’ music, and lasts only a few seconds, accompanied by much merriment and laughter.

The attacks are warded off with tightly woven ‘ata’ vine shields; there are no winners and no losers because the objective is to draw blood as an offering to the gods. After the battles, the combatants’ wounds are treated with a stinging mixture of alcohol and turmeric, leaving no scars.

During festivals such as this, the women of the village wear the famous hand-woven double ikat textiles, known as ‘Geringsing’. Tenganan is the only place in Indonesia where this double weaving technique is practised and the ritually significant, magic cloth haas the power to protect the wearer from sickness and evil vibrations. On the first day of the mekare-kare, the unmarried maidens of the village ride creaky wooden ferris wheels, which are manually operated by the men. The turning symbolises the descent of the sun to the earth. Mekare-kare takes place in Tenganan every year in June or July as part of the Usaba Sambah festival. Visitors, however, are welcomed to the fortress-like village at anytime of year during daylight hours; many of the houses function as shops and workshops where expert craftsmen and women perform their centuries-old skills. This living museum is well worth a visit!

Bali 2007 The High Season Party Hotspot

Where will you be partying this summer? Last edition we previewed some of the parties you can look forward to, but there’s more. A phalanx of phoenixes are about to rise from the ashes of the old, all of them intent on making themselves some of the hotspots of the high season.

Syndicat
Paparazzi is no more, the Syndicat has taken over. Think sophisticated speakeasy for the hip hop generation, with a traditional bar featuring a full display of drinks, moving away from the centre where it used to be in the old Paparazzi to the side wall beside the DJ booth. The décor will be urban eclectic, including a ‘wall of fame’ featuring the luminaries of soul, funk, hip hop and more. there’ll be lounges and high stools and no House music whatsoever. Created by Fredo Taffin’s E-Space design studio, Syndicat will feature tailor made furnishings and décor, plus art visuals by Cedric. Watch out for the Grand Opening on 26 July, with Pimped Out Cars, Fashion Shows and wicked soulful grooves keepin it chilled & souled out.

Daydream
Something is happening behind a makeshift fence on the site of the old Living Room restaurant in Petitenget, Seminyak. A pared down combination of white stone, cool water, manicured gardens are the frame for Daydream, a brand new venue that’s set to hold it’s Grand Opening on August 15. Open from 6am – 3am everyday, it features a large pool with daybeds, a restaurant, two bars, garden lounge and massage booths. Resident DJs will be Nason and Johnny spinning laid back house grooves. The Beat took a peep inside and it’s looking slick already – killer feature? Has to be the crescent pool, perfect for all day lounging and dipping….

Nirvana Club
Any Bali old-hand will remember Spy Bar. It was one of the most notorious bars on the famed Dhyana Pura strip – packed every night and bumping. After finally closing more than a year ago. Now, a brand nbar, restaurantew restaurant/bar concept is about to emerge on the old Spy Bar site. Nirvana is owned by the somewhat legendary Pak Suparman, who owns another stalwart of the Dhyana Pura strip, Santa Fe. What’s it all about? A chill out lounge/restaurant concept with a restaurant at the back serving intercontinental food, a terrace on the street and seating for 100.

MGM
After a very long hiatus, there are stirrings at the site of the old Space club in Dhyana Pura. We don’t have a lot of information yet since the place is still a building site, but the completion date is rumoured to be in the next six weeks. The concept? A two floor bar/club focusing on live music as opposed to DJs. Sounds very different from its predecessor - which is probably a very good thing.