K.C. and The Sunshine Band - My Boogie Shoes

Whereto My Boogie Shoes?

It was truly wonderful prancing with a hostess who truly loves dancing although her arms were quite stiff when starting thus making me quite surprised as to the Club Mummy's words that the GRO dances well when she heralded Jennifer - the said dancer, innermost, the singalong chamber at Extravaganza a couple of weeks ago. However Jennifer the prancer immediately took cue when I mentioned to soften her movements particularly her hands and fingers. Like an eager pupil she completely comprehended every nuances of every step that I initiated. The four step was so easy and fluid for her to execute,instantly also she was like fully understood the purpose of the wiggle to overrule any conventional Latin beat - steps to dance. Motions forward and back needed not be strictly adhered to like Singapore Cha-cha, only freestyle and stepping much the four steps to every tune. Zapin and Dangdut numbers must not occasioned the traditional as stringently required but slowed and quickened to sync the rhythms. All in all wholesomely cavorting the limited space available inside the moderately sized karaoke room. Kharisma Cinta was the maiden and first most tone to step to alongside the rumba character it gave,followed by dangdut and her two left two right travel and a bit of mambo cum cha-cha to top the four steps potential and highlight most the characteristic Latin drumbeats genre. Veritably fabulous and I was grinning away gleefully when the dancing shoes gave way. The left sole slipped from the main housing and I was left with only soft pvc skin as thin leather covering one of two feet. All dancing stopped and merry laughter ensued. But not the entire show ended as I do have extra boogie shoes in the trunk of my trusted bone shaker parked nearby! Hohoho

KARTINA DAHARI - Sampaikan Salam Ku

Aliyah The Pretty

Remember the dangdut club that was named after a song and one that I would always be chilling in: apart from the Joget House a few kilometers away. Or that I also went prancing to one or a few other and of similar establishments. A writer always embellishes and the facts and occurrences relied upon can never be too correct as time and memories do fade. But innermost the song titled joint I would always observe Aliyah the tall and pretty hostess,would always converse with her,lending ears to little tales of her kampong and tad girlie gossips. Was also quite close to her and would also booked her for an hour or so - to dance and for dangdut company. Could have been lovey lovey but she had someone then and they were planning to get formal plus her short stint as hostess was only for dough and wedding expenses. So everything was cool and platonic and nothing untoward occurred. The fact also that I enjoyed being with her and chatting about anything that much revolves around her. Being curious I also had glimpses of what the girls day and night lives could be like. And from what I could gather they were just people: as worldly and mundane - sometimes emotional and at times sentimental - even though they dance for a living. However so there were the wealthy patrons and the girls if disappeared from clubs, they would always be marrying these men with means. Aliyah married her longtime boyfriend from what I heard and soon after, completely vanished from the dangdut scene. She was forgotten and nobody asked about her. Seldom that I go dangduting post my frequenting the tune called club and if I did go many new and young girls that I came across. Dangdut also has been so long that the grind keeps churning without significance and much less of history and priceless lessons. Just entertainment quite quaint and piquant. Yet about fifteen years later, I met one of her hostess buddies in SM and somewhat from being acquainted with her again, my thoughts came to Aliyah and I immediately inquired about her. Oh you remember said her friend " How sweet she continued ". "Well she's divorced now, continued her pal" "And in fact worked for a while in SM a few months back but a wealthy patron took fancy to her and proposed". "She accepted and even happily married now". "She did it for her kids she said"!

Malam Cemerlang - Nassier Wahab & Salwa Abd Rahman

The Dance Competition

Hasheem has been quite informative about the upcoming dangdut competition. Since the patrons' dance partner must be a hostess working in the club it was no surprise that I would always see him with Lisa those past few weeks. He also mentioned merit points given by The Manager to the customers each time they frequented the joint but wasn't sure how they helped the competitors during the competition. There was also no free drinks mentioned in relation to amounts of points awarded. How then the points help when skills should be the sole criteria to win. Somehow Hasheem the Financial Analyst would always add to further explain a most complex merit system. Until today I could not fathom the wisdom of The Club Manager's winning plan. And Hasheem also was neither questioning nor baffled by The Club Boss strange blueprint. I haven't came across Hasheem for the past fifteen solar years and the manager too, and that I have heard of, has since demised. Come the day of the competition or the night really,I was quite early making myself available at the club. Since the dancers have all been book by the contenders,I was just chilling down at one of the stalls nearby. Luckily some dangduteers too wanted to come early so I was not short of company. Hasheem was in fact earlier than all of us chatting at the stalls and was earnestly warming up in the club. Hasheem loves dancing and many a dancers would try to avoid his bookings as he would dance non stop until the wee hours when the club closes. But Lisa can be so nice and accommodating and I too was taken by her delightful company. Not lovey lovey and the same too goes for Hasheem but as a dance buddy and also to exchange light banter with.Competition did not start until the witching hour so it was quite a while having teh tarik outside that I ventured into teratak at about half hour nearing midnight if only to find a suitable spot to watch the wiggling bout. Tables are to be forgotten as the place had actually fulled up so the best position left was standing room about 20 feet from the dance concourse. I saw Hasheem still prancing with Lisa and seemingly he was brimming with energy the fact that it was nearly two hours prior that he entered the club. Lisa too was excited and energetic but kinda anxious too considering that the moment of truth was only several minutes away. Suddenly Mahat the Assistant Manager approached me and suggested from the few words uttered that I became one of the Judges for the competition. Somewhat like "Zul, you be judge". I was shocked! Why must I be judge when Hasheem is better and having more stamina doing steps to the dance. But Mahat replied that they were short of one to make three. Cikgu was one and a retired Colonel or was it Major was another. I did not even answer Yes when immediately later my name was called as one of the deciding trio. Hasheem looked shocked when I along with the other two referees were paraded upon the concourse for all to view. I only spot a sheepish look together with shrugging the shoulders to signal to Hasheem that I too was caught unprepared. Since the whole world knew back then I had no other avenue but to protesting like agree to the perfectly unplanned arrangement. Then a further announcement arrived informing of the judges need to showcase their dance prowess in order to display that they too can dance. Since I came alone and only to cheer on Hasheem I had to borrow Lisa. Well the presentation lasted only a few minutes - Thank God! But must say that the audience did not boo or anything and the very least that they accept my being elevated from nowhere to be judge. I was quite relieved the fact was. Must say that I was also rather proud to be included amongst the dangdut notables for the short time that the competition lasted. Imagine from a dangdut nobody to a dangdut dance arbitrator. Boy was I beaming. Then came the announcement as regards the procedures underlining the dance fight. There were points for smoothness bar rigidity whilst prancing,tempo and rhythm,expressions to dance types and dance sentiments,dance intricacies or bunga and a few and much more stranger rules apart from already mentioned. How the fcuk am I going maneuver through those? Luckily Cikgu being the head judge juggled all the figures with the management in a locked room when the competition finishes. I on the other hand just wrote no 1,no 2 and no 3 without noting down other figures upon the prepared and printed judging form given at the start. Gave Hasheem 3rd place as there were better couples than him. Forgot the results but Hasheem did get fourth or consolation or third as per my form. Can't remember as was too long ago! Just where is Hasheem now? Did not ever bumped into him post dance competition - at Teratak the Hut - nearly a score years ago!

The Mills Brothers "Yellow Bird"

The Old Geezer

Mann Twopie was furiously in and out of the karaoke chamber at Santana and I just don't know why, he wasn't really into singalongs nor dancing the while away whenever happenstance dictates that he was with the company of the dangdut consociation. So it was quite a wonder that evening that he willingly agreed to a dangdut night out. As always he could not stay stationary for very long and would always disappear if only for a stroll inside the club or a taking a short teh tarik respite outside. However having his petite laptop always at hand he would persistently do profit and loss accounts cum filling up columns upon columns of totally unattractive figures onto tables and schedules in generic computer files all ready and prepared in the hard drive. Also, an accountant by profession and freelance and wholly mobile at that - Mann prefers solitariness. Yet this time there was neither the expressionless intonation nor the dull and discoloration of a frown upon him. In fact there was a tad of enthusiasm alongside some amusement if to describe! Why? I could not have guessed. Actually Mann was tailing an old chap and one who was opening each and every door to all karaoke chambers lining the medieval maze like corridors innermost Santana Dangdut and Karaoke Lounge. The Old Geezer would be continuously muttering something whilst doing what he did and Mann wanted to go near him to catch the words but he was too amused to do such and only after a few times hurriedly coming in and out of the consociation's singalong room that Mann muster enough courage to ask him. Not that he was fearful but out of respect for the peripatetic Senior. He was quite old and Mann also was afraid that he would be snickering immediately upon The Old Mann replying to his query. He nearly burst out when the Septuagenarian mentioned that he was searching for his GRO or the hostess he booked for the dangdut evening and of whom had been putting on an irksome disappearing act all night. He quipped that she would appear and disappear at will and for such considerable time in between. Most times singing alone that he went out searching for her and sure enough the young girl just appeared in front of them and quickly disappeared into a nearby room an instant later. The Old Fella chased after her. Mann quickly ran to the dangdut consociation's singing chamber and guffawed. Wonder why the Old Man choose to relax in Santana and booked a karaoke singer less than a third his age? Maybe The Missus has only passed or that she is old like him and losing interest and the kids all have children of their own and the wife prefers staying with them and the Oldie was lonely all the time. And money was not a problem having worked and saved for so long and as dusk is nearing: why not enjoy a bit and towards the last. Of course all strength and masculinity have diminished but a little tete a tete with a pretty young thing would do no harm. In Santana, especially, such female company can be arranged. But the hostess he picked found him uncouth and her being near him really awkward. He could change the GRO, all he had to do was inform the Mummy or The Lounge Manageress but why didn't he do that? I was laughing aloud but little realizing that a little bit of time down the road and perhaps still breathing then, I could be very well be The Dirty Old Fella! Hohohohoho!