Party-ing shots

                              

Flu and fear factors apart, party destinations gear up to bid adieu to the  year, rock, stock and apparel TIME OUT: Tito’s in Goa is a hotspot for year-end revelry J. Fernandes EVERY year brings its blows and fears: 26/11, swine flu, SARS, Bali bombings. This year, it is potential terror strikes and recession. But once in Goa, nothing stops a party. It’s that time of the year again when Goa comes alive to do what it does best – just party! The undisputed party capital of India, Goa goes from a sleepy, almost deserted state to the explosive party destination the world knows it to be. No matter who you are – Russian, Indian or European, young or old – the spirit of Goa engulfs you to create that unique, vibrant and inclusive ambience. The countdown to the New Year has begun, and with it have sprung beach shacks, restaurants, clubs, pubs and night markets apart from standalone ballroom dances and parties. The beaches of Goa are drenched in the colours of revelry. From offshore gambling to trance, or rock to hip-hop, or reggae to rave, there is room for every kind of partyholic. This year too, for the third year running, Sunburn, a three-day electronic dance and music festival and Asia's biggest, is set to draw the crowds at Candolim Beach from December 27 to 29. Several international acts, including the world’s number one DJ Armin Van Buuren; one of the best amongst House DJs and a Grammy Award winner, DJ Roger Sanchez and global clubbing brand and dance behemoth Gatecrasher are featuring this year. Tickets are priced at Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,500 for a single -day pass. Coming up sooner and easier on the pocket (Rs 680-1800) is the very popular Bacardi Blast on December 19 and 20. The two-day affair, which takes place at the Panjim Gymkhana Club, got a lineup which includes British EDM heavyweight Chicane and Faithless member Sister Bliss. It will also see a bunch of Indian electronica acts. For those who can’t stop partying, where else but Tito’s. Probably the most talked-about party haunt in Goa, it needs no introduction. Open since 1971, Tito’s at Baga is frequented by revelers all through the year. An excellent fusion of retro, trance, hip-hop and reggae played by high-profile DJs puts this hotspot at the very top. Theme nights and other events feature regularly in the scheme of things. On a lesser scale though, there are numerous options all along the 105-km-long beach line. If you want to party into the wee hours and duck under the sound restrictions you need to check out the Silent Noise parties, Goa’s original headphone parties at Palolem, South Goa. This unique party rocks through the night. Party-goers rent a wireless headphone and party through the night while the neighbours sleep on every Thursday and Saturday night. A couple of places worth visiting while in Goa are the very niche Club Fresh and Ingo’s Saturday Night market which is for just about everybody. Just a month old, Club Fresh is a chic Mediterranean-style space nestled in the rustic surroundings at Morjim beach. Sunset is the ideal time to be there. Splashed in white and catering to an up-market clientele, it has a certain buzz about it. There could be live painting, musicians playing live and models walking around all the time. There would be a saxophone player and go-go dancers in a very Nikki beach style for weekends. Everybody is welcome at Ingo’s Saturday night market. It’s the kind of place where you could bump into a Vijay Mallya or quite often Bollywood stars. For all the hardcore party reputation that Goa has, there is also a flipside – the general cheer and more sober forms of entertainment, which are equally charming. The streaming streets of Goa during the Christmas and New Year season see throngs of shoppers of all ethnicities and religions flocking the stores which bustle with activity all day. Christmas carols are heard everywhere and the inimitable sense of goodwill prevails amongst the crowded footpaths, traffic logged roads and various promenades. Families are seen together shopping and meeting up with friends and relatives and rushing back home to decorate houses with the traditional Christmas tree and crib. Dances in a slapdash ballroom style are usually the call of the day. The dances entail two or three popular bands belting out both synchronised and live music to the hundreds of locals that flock the show. The music is usually restricted to ballroom, retro and rock with a lot of Christmas carols thrown in for good measure. So, sing on! World renowned saxaphone player Florenzio Cruz from Argentina performs at Club Fresh, Goa

2009 saw Mumbai play host to big bashes that lifted the mood beyond 26/11 and star shows on New Year’s Eve will add to cheer TRIPLE TREAT: Vidya Balan (C) flanked by Abhishek and Aishwarya Bachchan at the Paa premiere Vimla Patil ASK any Mumbaite which party rocks the most, and he/she will name the BT (Bombay Times) year-end party as the Dadi of all get-togethers. Their 2009 Page 3 party, held at the newly renovated Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel (post-26/11) was nostalgic because of the trauma that the landmark hotel had gone through in the past year. The party was also a worthy successor of all the previous years. The theme—blue and sea—made its 16th anniversary a rocking event with food, music and dancing into the wee hours. HOSTESS HOUR: Nita Ambani proved she’s among Mumbai’s top hostesses at the bash for Sachin In fact, the party highlighted one more event of the season. All the actors of Big B’s latest release Paa were presented together brilliantly. The party definitely showcased the success of the film and was an occasion to felicitate the Shahenshah of Bollywood with his team of Abhishek Bachchan and Vidya Balan. The film’s premiere earlier too, was a series of parties. After a long time, AB Corp was releasing an outstanding film and no one was left out of the celebrity list for the previews and merrymaking later. Filmi parties are known to be the barometers of the enmities and friendships between stars. The Paa premiere party had its share of these, too, with Amar Singh and Shah Rukh Khan making overtures to forget old quarrels and move ahead. SRK finished this making-up session with an invitation to Amar Singh to visit Mannat, his palatial seaside residence in Mumbai. Aamir Khan, who rarely attends filmi get-togethers, attended the premiere but did not see the film. Nita Ambani, the senior bahu of the Ambani family and wife of Mukesh, is counted among the top hostesses of Mumbai. She proved her hospitality skills once again when she appeared, 25 kg slimmer and more radiant —at a party to felicitate Sachin Tendulkar for completing 20 years in cricket. Since Sachin heads Nita’s Mumbai Indians Team in the IPL series, this was a grand celebration for the grand man of Indian cricket. Nita’s new look, after Bharat Natyam every morning, a light diet, weight training and walks on Marine Drive, fascinated all guests. Seawind, the official residence of the Ambani family, is known for its lavish parties. Rumour has it that each floor of the multi-floor kitchen dishes out the world’s best cuisines. Yet another food binge that riveted the attention of Mumbai’s gourmets was organised by Upper Crust, the food lovers’ magazine. With the Page 3 party animals in attendance, this event was launched by Bollywood’s poster boy Karan Johar and brought smiles to the faces of all those love good food, good wine and good kitchen accessories. Summer or winter, festivals or work times, Mumbai never has a dearth of events and parties. There is news of Bollywood stars taking on New Year or Christmas dancing assignments for a fat fees and, of course, rich citizens organising their year-end bashes on yachts, in hotels or in their own well-designed homes. Katrina Kaif is reported to have accepted a lucrative assignment to dance in Dubai despite a low hemoglobin count, which should make her rest for some time. But then, it’s going to be a Salman-Katrina night! Certainly, Katrina will not be the only star to earn big bucks at year-end celebrations. Also in line will be Mallika Sherawat, Celina Jaitley, Aarti Chhabria and other smaller stars, who will regale merrymakers across India and probably in the Gulf countries. 2009, despite its gloom of recession, has seen Mumbai rock with events, weddings, parties and celebrations. Every venue in the city is booked months ahead for such events. Along the scenic Marine Drive, the gymkhanas are decorated every day with imported orchids and other blooms to decorate wedding venues that dazzle in the starry nights. The music, the entertainment, the opulent menus with impeccable service – all these are part of such weddings and the grand parties that accompany them. Diamond merchants, with offices in Mumbai and Antwerp send out invites that are mind-boggling with mehendi, sangeet, mini receptions and dance parties that spread over weeks before the actual wedding. This year – 2009 – has been no different for Mumbai, except for a few months after 26/11. The devastation and lost lives left the city wounded and frightened for a while. But once both the Trident Oberoi and the Taj Palace and Towers were resurrected and brought back to their earlier glory, it looked as if Mumbai had rebuilt itself as a stronger city, with its citizens ready to forget the ugly year gone by and to go into the future with more confidence and the spirit to celebrate every day of its life.

Homecoming "We have had a lot of work doing three fashion weeks, the Blenders Pride and a three-city Chivas Studio tours. I need to rest and will be home for New Year’s. Just a small dinner (all home cooked) for close friends and their families. The traditional burning of the Old Man and just hanging out with people I am comfortable with. No noisy party and definitely no crowded spaces on my agenda."  Wendell Rodricks, fashion designer Family first "Christmas is my family day. That is when I take a much-needed break, and herald New Year by visiting my family. Our diary remains full with shows and we do need to take a break to be with family on festive days." — Emiliano Da Cruz, renowned Goan violinist

HOME