Saturday night’s all go for parties

Tomorrow night, Ingvar Stray, general manager of the W Seoul Hotel, is hosting the hotel’s second-year anniversary party ― “Who Wants To Play? 3 in 1.”
What sounds like a riddle is three parties organized in three places inside the hotel. From 7 to 10 p.m., Mink Lee, a cute songstress popularly known in the local music scene as the “second BoA,” is booked for a showcase at Namu, the contemporary Japanese restaurant. At Kitchen, the more casual dining spot, D.J. Jazzanova and Lounge Vocal from Germany will perform the group’s best-known brass sounds for the lounging time from 8 to 10 p.m. Serious dancing kicks off at ― where else? ― the swank Woobar starting from 10 p.m., and it will be the cool ’70s Tokyo Disco Night pumped by a visiting D.J. from Tokyo’s famous Club Velfarre.
The dress code is stylish, chic or disco, and the best dressed guests will go home with prizes including wine sets and a complimentary night in a signature Wonderful Room. The cover charge for all three parties is 50,000 won ($54) per person, which includes two welcome drinks. For reservations or inquiries, call (02) 2022-0023 or 0333.
Here’s another double deal: To experience late-night house music, head south to Club Garden in Apgujeong-dong in southern Seoul. On the club’s main floor, Thai-born D.J. Nakadia is flying in to showcase her cool concoction of Asian beauty and all the right mixes for a great party. On the first and second floors will be a string of the club’s resident D.J.s, Beejay, Ziro, Ultradog and Yob, who will churn out house and breakbeats, before, during and after Nakadia.
The ex-model’s triumph in her brief, three-year career came earlier this year in July when she D.J.-ed at the World Cup closing ceremony at the Berlin Olympic Stadium, after which she played for 1.2 million revelers at Love Parade.
Nakadia, who grew up in the rice fields of northern Thailand, knew nothing about clubbing nor had any contact with club music until she saw female D.J. Marusha spin in a club during a modeling assignment in Europe in 2002. Deeply moved, she began to practice at home. A year later, she did a few trance gigs in commercial clubs in Germany, but soon heard her true calling in house music. A talent as a D.J. in combining critical elements ― musical selection, technique and stage presence ― quickly made her highly demanded in happening clubs and VIP parties around the world. Nakadia, who has been touring around the world non-stop since 2004, is planning to release her first solo album at the end of this year.
Admission is 10,000 won before 10 p.m. and 15,000 won after 10 p.m., with one free drink included. Club Garden is located south of Galleria Department Store in Apgujeong-dong. For more information, visit www.nakadia.com or www.clubgarden.co.kr or call (011) 9735-8167.

by Ines Cho