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Looking lor late night club action? Look no iurther. Avril Mair chooses the best oi the bunch.
I Chocolate City So laid back it‘s almost horizontal, this is the capital’s finest mellow dance club.
The Venue, every Thursday during the Festival. 11pm—Sam.
I Disco Inlemo From the decade that taste forgot come sounds that you couldn‘t — horrible. horribly tacky D-I-S-C-O music. Wonderful!
Cafe Royal Bistro Bar, every Sunday during the Festival. 9pm—2am.
I Freakshow Not just a club, but a piece of intense, physical theatre which harnesses the energy of the rave scene and uses all its elements — music, dancing and visuals.
The Roxy, every night during the Festival. 11.30am—3am.
I Millionaires Without a doubt the capital‘s finest gay club. with an unfeasibly late licence, unbelievably cheap drinks. and a nice line in tasteless tracks.
Niddry Street, Monday to Saturday during the Festival. 11pm—4am week nights/midnight—éam weekends.
I Pure Upfront, hard-edged underground dance music. Wet walls and a lack ofoxygen the in-house speciality.
The Venue, every Friday during the Festival. 1 [pm—Sam.
I Sha Yowsah! Seriously 70s sounds — a veritable orgy of tastelessness.
Moray House Student Union, Wednesday to Saturday during the Festival. IIpm—4am.
I Soma A special one-off from local hardcore lads, featuring a live set by hotly-tipped Glasgow act Chill FM. Dead busy, dead good.
The Vaults, Saturday. I [pm—4am.
[- Mambo-
mania!
World music. What’s it all about, why is it so popular, and why are there two clubs with the same name? Avril Mair joins in the celebration of cultural diversity.
You’d be forgiven for getting confused. Two clubs with the same name and music policy running on the same nights in the same city. . . well, it’s no wonder. So let us explain: every evening during the festival both the London-based Mambo Inn and the local Mambo Club will be celebrating the world‘s wealth of musical difference by playing Latin, salsa. calypso, zouk, socca, African, roots, reggae and jazz to an audience as diverse as their playlist.
‘The more Mambo the merrier!‘ says Max Reinhardt of the Southern organisation, in a spirit of friendliness which characterises the
world music scene. Increasing acceptance ofcultural heterogeneity and a sense of the world as global village goes some way in explaining the almost astronomical rise in popularity of this genre. As Edinburgh promoter Ossie Sey explains, ‘Paul Simon‘s ‘Gracelands‘ LP was the watershed which brought world music to public awareness four or five years ago. The big buzz just took off from there.‘
But there‘s also another reason why the capital can manage to successfully sustain two such similar events. As the pace in Clubland generally gets faster and more furious, with an impenetrable wall of noise taking the place of ‘real‘ tunes.
people are looking for laid-back alternatives. And this is what both Mambos provide. ‘We don’t pander to current fashion fads,‘ says Ossie, whilst Max would also agree that this is part of their appeal. ‘You can go along and dance as horrendously as you like, and no one‘s gonna laugh. It‘s all fairly peaceable. A bit like going to a party really, where you don‘t know whose party it is.‘ What could be better? Whichever Mambo you choose, a good time is guaranteed — and there’s no confusion about that. The Mambo Club, Cavendish (formerly the Network) every night during the Festival. Scotland ’3 first and foremost world music club. starring the renowned Sir Ossie on the wheels of steel . Also featuring this Monday to Wednesday the Inner Sense Percussion Orchestra, a gigantically rhythmic outfit specialising in hot headed samba reggae fused with jazz grooves and funk. The Mambo Inn, Playhouse Studios every night during the festival. London '3 finest come north to funk up yer fest with fiesta fantasia. Featuring this weekend special guest 013 from the reknown Kiss FM, and this Thursday the Stand Up For Nicaragua benefit, with the usual musical mélée on the lo wer floor plus a selection of the best comedy from this year's Fringe upstairs.
[- THE MAMBO CLUB’S TOP TEN
1. lcha: Syran M'benza
This epltomises all that’s good about Soukouss music — the sound at Zaire. 2. Gerant: Pepe Kalle
This is a superb tack from Pepe, literally a largerthan lite character. A true giant in Congolese music.
3. La Parranda Se Canta: Latin Brothers By a popular duo who are very lamous in Latin circles. A very good salsa number.
4. Des Carga Mambito: Snow Boy a the Latin Section
A good Latln-ian track that gets all the show-oil dancers going.
5. Animation-Hypocracy: Ute
You may well ask who? Believe it or not, Ute are lrom Down Under. They are also into good jazz in Australia!
6. Dollar: Taxi
A soca hit lrom 1991 that gets everyone going.
7. Ra-ti Ray: D. Williams
Another example at the sound of
sunshine. A out which oozes cannibal atmosphere. A ‘~
8. Bam-Bam: Pliers
This was the favourite at all London parties this year. It has a haunting backing track and a catchy chorus - a lloorliller.
9. House Call: Shabba Banks & Maxi Priest
This is one of the most popular ragga tracks - loads at people always ask for this.
10. Mambo Bado: Orchestra Makassy Last but not least, this track is played at the end at every night because it's our theme tune.
_ THE MAMBO INN’S TOP TEN
1. Tarantula Walk: Ray Carless Funky, lunky early BOs re-release. Airobeat, salsa, lunk- it’s all there. 2. What ls This?: Sergio Mendes Rapping to the heaviest Brazilian backbeat imaginable and then the chant. . . we are in heaven!
3. Only YourVoice, Juliana: Sweet
Talks and AB. Crentsll
Ghanian deep groove, wonderlul warm vocals, wicked and weird brass.
4. Filie: Ngakosso
Congolese Soukous comes to rock the dancelloor: rumbling bass lines and heavenly voices. Feel the rhythm. Ouch!
5. Vieiito Canandonga: Coniunto Son del Barrio
Salsa sweet 'n' hard!
6. Falsan: Ravlin Con Ramon Rodriguez Y La Sinlonica De La Salsa Salsa last ’n’ iurioso!
7. Yatra-Ta: Tania Maria
Brazilian diva and piano genius takes it to the limit Brazilian jazz stylee.
8. Hook and Sling: Eddie Bo
Vintage R’n'B/tunk—the soles oi my leet, I swear they’re burnln’.
9. Lavie Lavie: Lucien Bokllo
Zairean super league Soukous— breathtaking bass, liquid guitars and soaring vocals. Mmm . . .
10.Bmwn Bag: (Ivan) Boogaloo Joe Jones
Bumin’ hot funky jazz with a slow fuse and that high speed boogaloo boss guitar.
sponsored by BACARDI RUM
80 The List 21 - 27 August 1992