THEIR job during the week is to entertain men - drinking, singing and chatting with them. And for some, if not all, sleeping with them. Yet, to unwind, these KTV club hostesses opt to spend more time with men.

Except that they become the clients, paying for male hosts. This is an emerging trend, The New Paper on Sunday learnt after speaking to operators of five male-host clubs.

Kevin, a senior manager at one such club on Orchard Road, said: “Three out of 10 customers are young mamasans and their girls. We know who they are because they are quite open about what they do for a living.”

And it seems these women are generous spenders with few demands. Quentin, a public relations manager at another club in the same building, said: “They tend to drink more than other women customers and they also tip better. And they usually just want companionship with no strings attached.”

That’s because sex is not on the agenda, said seven mamasans and hostesses interviewed by The New Paper on Sunday.

Visits to seven male-host clubs across the island in two weeks found that only clubs with hosts from China, Taiwan and Malaysia are popular.

This is because the hostesses are mainly from China and prefer to converse with men who are closer to home. None of them said so, but perhaps they had had enough of local men from their work.

A mamasan who goes by the name of Miss Wei-wei, 24, thinks nothing of paying $6,000 - for liquor, sashes and tips - for a night of revelry for herself and her girls. The Shanghainese manages a group of 10 girls at a KTV club on Havelock Road.

Miss Wei-wei said: “I don’t really think it’s a lot of money for three, four hours of fun and companionship.”

At male-host clubs, a bottle of hard liquor costs between $148 and $168 during happy hours. Flower garlands and sashes are usually priced from $50 up. It’s her way of “rewarding” her girls, Miss Wei-wei said.

“They get to relax in an environment they are comfortable in and enjoy the company of men who can understand their feelings. Really, do you think anyone can understand what we’re going through? No one, not unless they are in the same line. It’s really a case of ?tong bing xiang lian’ (fellow sufferers in Mandarin).”

While the women are “not looking for sympathy”, Miss Wei-wei said it helps to find “a listening ear”.

She added: “You can call it expensive entertainment, but in our case, we deem it as cheap therapy.”

Therapy here comes in the form of “letting off steam” through finger-guessing games, singing and “just vomiting out the unhappiness and unpleasantness”, said Miss Wei-wei.

And such sessions have been effective, she claimed. “My girls also learn that just as men may use them, women also use the men - like those who frequent the male-host clubs,” she said.

Miss Cherry, 22, who is from Guangzhou and works in a nightclub at Outram Road, said she found out about this “new form of leisure” from other hostesses.

“When I first joined them, it actually felt odd. But a few sessions later, somehow I realised I felt better.”

Miss Cherry added: “I didn’t have to pretend that I was all young and innocent. I could let my guard down and really talk about my frustrations at work.”

She usually goes to a club at Bukit Timah on her monthly night off and spends about $400 each time.

Said Miss Cherry: “I remit most of my money home and I don’t have any other hobbies. Going to the clubs is the only time I splurge, but spending that sum of money in a month is really nothing.”

The only taboo is developing feelings for the men - and that is something that the mamasans repeatedly warn their girls about.

Another mamasan, who wanted to be known only as Ms Yap, said: “I always tell them it’s one thing to seek release in this form and another to fall in love.”

Ms Yap, 40, who manages 15 girls at the same nightclub as Miss Wei-wei, added: “Things always get complicated when emotions or feelings come into play.

“Many of them also just want to walk away from their life here when they return to their hometown. You can find comradeship, I tell them, but never, never, a relationship.”

What about sex?

Miss Ke-er, 25, a hostess, scoffed at the suggestion. She said: “Any physical intimacy will change…things. As it is, we’re trying to escape the ugliness of our job, which invariably includes sex.”

Male host Eden, 28, who’s a hot favourite with the girls at a club off Jalan Besar, agrees. “Seriously, these women just want someone who is willing to listen to them. They just want to pour out their woes,” he said.

Half of his regular customers are hostesses from different nightclubs. Eden, who is from Beijing, found that giving them the right attention has its rewards.

“I’ve had tai-tais coming on to me with kinky requests - extra services - but not from the hostesses. It never extends to anything too intimate.

Yet they are not stingy with their tips - sometimes, when they get to de-stress after the drink-and-chat session, my customers can tip me as much as $200 to $300.”

Alex, a male host at a club in Orchard Road, thinks the heavy tipping comes from the realisation that they are in the same boat.

The 26-year-old former model from Taiwan said: “One of my customers - a mamasan - heard from the manager here that I was struggling because I’m new.

“She made it a point to ask for me each time she came to the club and would always stuff two or three $50 notes in my pockets.”

Alex added: “Not only that, she’d offer me tips on what I should do to loosen up and how I should treat the other women customers.”

Which is not surprising, said Ms Yap. She added: “People generally love to think there’s something so sordid about what we do.

“But here, we recognise one another’s pain and struggle, and so the companionship the girls share with the men becomes more real.”

- The New Paper

RESPECT with GRANT NELSON (UK)
Supported by Pulsions Asia and Johnnie Walker Black Label

Complimentary samplings of Johnnie Walker Black cocktails between 10:30pm and 12midnight.

Moniker(s): Nu Rhythmix, M-Gee, Bump & Flex, N’n'G, Ground 96, 24hr experience, Wishdokta, Livin’ Large, mi:grant, Boiling Point, The Dok, Vibes & Wishdokta, Ambassadors Of Swing, The Rhythm Construct

Having first remixed Chaka Khan’s “I Feel For You” at age 13 in his own bedroom, Grant Nelson went on to DJ extensively around the country and got his first record deal with Kickin’ Records at age 19! Under the production moniker of Wishdokta, his first reviewer asked “Is Wishdokta the Ozzy Osbourne of House?” thanks to the vibrant personality he injects into his performances and music.

Now widely respected as the founder and godfather of UK Garage and House, Grant has remixed and re-produced songs for a multitude of Artists including the likes of James Brown, Kelis, Jodeci, Frankie Knuckles, Artful Dodger, Mis-Teeq, Liberty X, Aaliyah, The Brand New Heavies, Guy, Another Level, Juliet Roberts, Rosie Gaines, Gabrielle, Hinda Hicks, Thelma Houston, Beverley Knight & Faithless to name a few. His remixography gives a little insight into why he is constantly in demand as a remixer.

In recent times, Grant’s remix of ‘Fade’ by Solu Music feat. Kimblee brought an underground classic to the mainstream. After tearing it up all over clubland for 6 months it resulted in a commercial hit for Hed Kandi records. Other recent club smashes include Grant’s own release “Spellbound” and remixes for Chocolate Puma, Towa Tei, M-Gee feat Mica Paris, Chanel, Jamiroquai, Simply Red & Alexander O’Neal. Grant has also produced two sample libraies containing beats & musical parts aimed at house music producers called ‘Studio Essentials Volume 1 & 2′.

Dress Code: Dressed to Party!

Minimum Age for Entry: 21 for Ladies and 23 for Gents.

7 Raffles Boulevard, Pan Pacific Singapore, Marina Square
Singapore

ANTHEMS is back with a vengeance!

Join the new face on the Stereolab block TOMMY A.K. as he travels through the annals of dance music history to bring you nothing but the BEST tunes in the world!

Get ready to have your hands in the air and your body on the floor for track after track of sing-along goodness.

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

Members enjoy 1-for-1 on all standard drinks ALL NIGHT LONG!

For table reservations, call Eevon at 8182 5857.

RSVP on the event wall with your full name to gain free entry for the night!

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

Dress Code: Dressed to Party!

Minimum Age for Entry: 21 for Ladies and 23 for Gents.

No flip flops or shorts allowed in venue. Management retains the right to refuse entry at their discretion without explanation.

Friday, June 25, 2010 at 8:00pm

The amazing $55 4-hour freeflow is back by popular demand! You asked for it and now you’ve got it!

Enjoy unlimited cocktails on Friday 25 June from 8pm til midnight.

Hurry down early to enjoy the full four hours. Freeflow is ONLY on from 8pm til midnight. Last orders will be taken just before midnight. Drinks ordered after midnight are available at 1-4-1 exclusively for freeflow participants.

Two wheelchairs have been pre-booked for our special guests Hayz and Milly from New Zealand! This one could get messy so invite your friends and charge your camera batteries!

The usual terms and conditions apply:
Not valid with any other on-going promotion
All drinks are non-transferable.
Does not include whisky, wine, beer, jagermeister, snorkels or soft drink mixers.
Strictly valid til the stroke of midnight.
Absolutely no puking or pissing at Alegro!
What happens at Alegro, stays at Alegro….and Facebook!
The 4-hour promotion is valid only for Alegro Churros Bar Facebook members. Non-members are entitled to 3-hours at the discretion of Alegro management.

Southbridge Jazz @ 7atenine
8 Raffles Avenue #01-10/12, Esplanade Mall
Singapore

Date: 7 & 8 July’10
Showtime: from 9.30pm
Tickets: $20 (Ticket Only)

Biography - CLAUDE DIALLO:
http://www.claudediallo.com/

If there was one word to describe Claude Diallo and his music it would be compassion. From his humble beginnings to the drive behind his compositions, he welcomes truth and every day life as the seal for his upcoming albums with the CLAUDE DIALLO SITUATION.

His colourful background having a Senegalese Step-Grandfather handing down his African family name of Diallo, to the art featured on his upcoming album painted by his maternal grandfather whom he has never met but inspires him none the less, is only a piece of a larger story that has shaped his music through the years.

Born in Switzerland, to a Swiss mother and French father, Claude was destined to play music as both parents played in a Symphony Orchestra where he frequented the classical performances during his childhood. Jolted by Oscar Peterson’s fiery music is what turned him on to Jazz at the age of 13; it was love, and he never turned back. With the world in his horizon he set out for New York City in 2001 at the ripe age of 19 to follow the inner urge to become the next up and coming Jazz pianist/ composer.

He found himself at the Berklee School of Music in Boston, MA where he cultivated life long relationships and studied with greats like Danilo Perez, Raymond Santisi, Frank Carlberg, Andy McGhee and many other influential musicians, graduating Summa Cum Laude in 2006 and completing his Master’s Degree in 2008 from Aaron Copland School of Music. There he studied with David Berkman, Michael Mossman and Antonio Hart. His music has become the key to his heart and he hides nothing with the emotion he puts into every note and it is a direct reflection of his life.

His plans to tour with Brazilian singer Bruna Caram, his July release of both albums, one with mentor Andy McGhee and with his trio the Claude Diallo Situation, are just a few things Claude will use to catapult his efforts to becoming one of the best. His own tour through Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Hong Kong in July 2010 along with his national performances is sure to catch a buzz in the Jazz scene. Simply put, Claude sees his music reflecting daily events and memories carved from our society. His music works in every culture because it is about life and emotions, which every culture deals with. He puts all of his love into his music and makes it unique so that people remember his performances, going home with a lasting memory.

For ticket bookings, call 6338 0789 or email jazz@sbj7atenine.com

FRI 26 JUN 10
CHIVAS LIVE PRESENTS: FULL FRONTAL
DJs ADRIAN WEE & ANDREW T
FASH

Chivas Live and Fash engage in a group hug to bring you an experience like none other! Full Frontal rears its fabulous end with a soiree overflowing with booze, bass, booty & bubonic baboons.

Helming the decks are residents Andrew T & Adrian Wee. With a combined deck experience of more than 12000 years, Andrew & Adrian started DJing during the infamous Mesopotamian rave parties in 4000 BC, and have been featured in many clubs and parties since, most notably Caligula’s pre-assasination cocktail (41 AD), the decline of the Mayan Civilisation after-party (10 AD), Chivas Brothers Whiskey Jump-Up-Dance-Up in 1801, Darwin’s Evolution of the Species Ladies Night Freeflow (1836), and are currently holding fort at Butter Cookies, Poptart & Switch at The Butter Factory.

Full Frontal will ooze a mixture of neolithic house, dark-age electro to post-nuclear breaks, so be there for a musical journey through from past to present to future to clinical insanity! So prepare yourself for the biggest, loudest & wildest party of human civilisation!

Join us as we head towards the final flourish in the Chivas Live series of Full Frontal!

Entry to FASH:
Riot Grrls - $21 / Rocker Boys - $26 - (Includes 2 drinks)

Promo: Chivas 12 Yr Bottle $195 all night.

1-for-1 (glasses & jugs) from 11pm-12am

*** limited guestlist slots available for this night. please email your full name, email & number to andrew@thebutterfactory.com ***

*pls contact the office at 6333 8243 or email admin@thebutterfactory.com for table reservations.

Stars and Stripes
OverEasy
1 Fullerton
Singapore,
Sat, 3rd July
10pm to Late

DJs Tyler Made (USA), KFC (Upper Serangoon Area)

Have you ever felt that burning desire to fight for “liberty and justice for all”? Or perhaps you wanted to get your “flame on” and head “up, up and away” when your “spidey sense was tingling”? This Independence Day, as we salute our great American Superheroes, we want you to rip that shirt off and reveal your hidden spandex. Save a damsel in distress from the clutches of our evil Supervillain in a game of hoops, put your Kryptonite-drinking tolerance to the test and show your arch-nemesis “it’s cloberrin’ time” with Super Beer Pong. But keep that X-Ray vision in check, for “with great power comes great responsibility.”

Save the Damsel – Sink a ball into our hoops within 20 seconds to free the hapless maiden. Don’t miss Sharp Shooters, or our evil Supervilain will tie her up again.

Kryptonite Challenge – Down 6 Apple Sour Shots in 6 seconds and you’ll get them free. If you don’t, they’ll set you back $40.

Super Beer Pong – Beer Pong, only this time it’s Super.

Free Jelly Shots for Americans!
*While Stocks Last

For reservations, please call 6423 0701 or email overeasy@overeasy.com.sg

The BIG surprise is finally here. We are unveiling a whole new and exhilarating Café del Mar like no other! Be WOW-ed by a stunning new look, along with irresistible promotions! Come down to the party for sexy beats and vibrant activities throughout the day starting from 12noon leading up to an evening of sensuality and afterglow.

We are giving away 100 exclusive goody bags!
To take part:
1) ‘Like’ Café del Mar’s Fan Page
2) Post a Shout-out on your personal wall AND on Café del Mar’s Fan Page wall inviting people to join the party
3) Email your Full Name, Contact Details and IC Number to info@cafedelmar.com.sg

There’s More!
Post the Best Shout-out and you stand a chance to be on the VIP list! 30 lucky attendees + 2 friends will be selected to enjoy special VIP privileges. Also, remember to register with us at the main door for a chance to win Café del Mar vouchers! (VIP winners will be notified when they collect their goody bag)

The Happenings
• Mega Flea Bazaar comprising of over 20 exciting stalls
• Complimentary Airbrush Tattooing
• Ice-cream treats by Seventh Heaven
• Tarot card reading
• Photo moments with friends and our Bikini Ambassadors
• Breathtaking Fire twirlers, Jugglers and Illusionist - Jackmagik
• Delicious food fare and free drinks

The party continues through the night!

Ready to party with us? RVSP NOW to info@cafedelmar.com.sg with your Name, IC & Contact number.

52 Telok Blangah road
#01-01 Telok Blangah House
Singapore 098829
Tel : 6272 7811

Click to enlarge

5/10/2010
Hostess at 14, Mamasan at 19

MENTION “mamasan” and one would expect women in their late 40s or 50s. 

Mamasans are likely to be those who have retired from their days as hostesses to take on a more supervisory role.

But Miss Kanda Loh Kailing, who testified at a six-day coroner’s inquiry in March over the hit-and-run accidents involving former Romanian diplomat Silviu Ionescu, surprised many when her picture appeared in the newspapers, including this one.

Just 25 years old, she was working as a mamasan at the Legend Palace KTV lounge, where Dr Ionescu, 49,was a regular.
 Pretty, chic and fashionable, Miss Loh may well represent a new breed of mamasans, many of them below 30.
Another, Miss Ruhua, 28, is not surprised that mamasans are getting younger. The Singaporean became one when she was only 19 - unusual even by today’s standards. 
She told The New Paper on Sunday that it’s the smaller clubs which use the younger mamasans to draw the customers.

This is because they go better with the younger mainland China girls who come to work as hostesses. 
”These girls usually have no qualms about going all the way(that is, to have sex).
 “The more established nightclubs still prefer to keep mamasans who are older,” added Miss Ruhua, who works only two or three times a week at one of the top clubs on Havelock Road.
In the past, a mamasan’s earnings could range from $3,000 to $30,000 a month, including a fixed salary, commission and tips.

Now, they depend mainly on bottle commission and tips, said Miss Ruhua, who was only 14 when she became a nightclub hostess - at one of the top clubs, noless.

 A year later, she was pregnant, and at 16 she had a child with her then-boyfriend, who was three years older.
 Miss Ruhua had to return to work just over a month after giving birth. She said: “I was so broke that on the first day, I had to use the hongbao that was given for my baby’s full-month celebrations.”

Some younger mamasans today also don’t “own” the girls, unlike in the past,when a mamasan would be assigned a certain number of girls to manage fully, she said. 

Hostesses now can also have a choice of whom they want to work for. As a result, managing them can sometimes be trying for these young mamasans.

Ms Nina, 47, a mamasan at another top club, said: “Many of the girls these days come from mainland China. They are confident enough on their own, so they work as freelance hostesses. “
She cited as example the case of Chinese national Li Hongyan, 24, whose naked body was found in the pool of a Sentosa Cove bungalow in March.
 Miss Li was believed to have been moonlighting as a part-time karaoke hostess in a number of lounges on Havelock Road.

Shanghai-born mamasan Miss Wei-wei, 24, came here 11/2 years ago. She started working in a nightclub in Shanghai as hostess when she was 17, before moving to Macau two years later.
 She said: “But the competition there was too tough, with some nightclubs even offering celebrity- lookalike hostesses to attract the customers. “
When her contract with the Macau nightclub ended in 2008, Miss Wei-wei set her sights on Singapore.
One week into her job as a hostess, she hooked up with a prominent local businessman for three months.

She did not want to give more details about the relationship but admitted that it was to become her “lucky break”.
 Said Miss Wei-wei: “When he moved on to another girl, he recommended his business associates and friends to me. “
It raised her “profile” at the nightclub - something which the management spotted at once. 
She said: “I think they knew that I could afford not to work so hard… or that I could move on to another nightclub. “
Mis Wei-wei claimed she was thus “promoted” to mamasan and asked to manage a group of 10 girls.
 But settling into the role when she was just 23 turned out to be tougher than she had expected.

She said: “Two of the more popular girls didn’t take to it well - they were older and had more experience. I had to find a balance between being strict and easy-going. “

She also had to put up with snide remarks, especially when regular customers preferred her personal attention instead of the hostesses’.
The challenge was in “how not to make the girls feel like I’m their competitor”. “That’s taboo and they can just walk out on you any time,” she said.
But the younger mamasans - most of whom are foreigners - may still have it easier, said Miss Candy, 26, who is also from Shanghai. 
She works as a mamasan at a smaller club on Middle Road, and manages eight girls - all from various parts of China.

Miss Candy said: “Well, the ‘tong xiang’ (same village) feeling helps in some ways. The girls tend to stick together and look out for one another. It’s like camaraderie. “

While things are more “official and businesslike” with the older mamasans, the young ones tend to be more emotional.
 Miss Ruhua said: “Everything revolves around feelings - it’s about whether we like or don’t like something, someone.

You must be able to click.” And younger mamasans can relate better to the hostesses, said Miss Wei-wei, who thinks nothing of paying $6,000 - for liquor, sashes and tips - for a night of revelry at a male-host club for herself and her girls.

She added: “It helps them to de-stress and in turn, they are happier at work. So, it’s a win-win situation.”


Stiff competition overseas drives mamasans here

 WHILE the ages of the mamasans in nightclubs here may seem to be getting lower, the “harsh reality” is: Some of them have outlived their shelf-life back home.

 Mamasan Miss Wei-wei should know - she had started working in a nightclub in Shanghai when she was only 17.
 She went from her hometown to Macau and that experience turned out to be a bonus for her. And that is common with many of the young mamasans here, she claimed.

Miss Wei-wei told The New Paper on Sunday: “The life span of a KTV club hostess in China and Hong Kong can be relatively short. “
Mainland Chinese girls start working in cabarets in the cities from as young as 16. They usually head up to Hong Kong and Macau when they hit 18.
 Stiff competition among the increasing number of girls opting for such a lifestyle makes it even worse.
 Miss Wei-wei, 24, said: “Another three years and the younger, new girls are ready to usurp your position. “

The setting in these clubs can be quite different - with strict and sometimes overbearing mamasans calling the shots.

She claimed: “You don’t say no to anything the mummy tells you to do - and that can include having sex with the customers.”

Girls - usually in groups of 25 to 30 - are lined up for customers to take their pick.

 Miss Wei-wei said: “We manage fewer girls and our regular clients will know which girls they want. “They are not put through that process of waiting to be picked. “

And for those working at the top clubs, “you have to fight with the international faces as well”, said mamasan Miss Candy, 26, who worked at Club Bboss in Hong Kong.

Nestled right in the thriving business district of Tsimshatsui East, the club has more than 60 VIP suites.

A manager at Club Bboss, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told The New Paper on Sunday: “Our clients are mainly the tycoons and celebrities, those who are ‘yao tao yao mien’ (prominent and famous in Cantonese).
 “The mummy or mamasan must know how to control and teach her girls well. Anyone who misbehaves gets booted out quickly.”
Miss Wei-wei said: “Because of the higher demands and expectations that the girls have been put through, they become more appreciated when they come here. “


Businessmen: Good service more important than age 

IT DOESN’T really matter if a mamasan is old or young. What matters is how she handles her girls, and what kind of quality service these girls can provide.

 The New Paper on Sunday approached 12 businessmen to find out if age mattered when it came to mamasans. Most said it didn’t. It’s the quality of attention and entertainment that counts.

Mr Richard Kong, 56, chief executive officer of a digital printing firm, has to host business associates about thrice a month. He said: “I’m more concerned over whether the girls (hostesses) are able to keep my associates happy or not.”

He usually spends about $4,000 each time during his visits to Tiananmen KTV & Lounge on Havelock Road.
 Keeping his associates “happy” does not mean any hanky-panky - just singing, playing dice games and making small talk, he said. And small talk can be quite sophisticated.

“Most of the hostesses now have better street knowledge, they are well-read and know how to provide intelligent communication,” he added. Many speak English “well enough” and others can speak various Chinese dialects.
 Mr Kong said: “Good mamasans take excellent care of you - they teach their girls well too.
And if you are a regular, they also know how much you are willing to spend and won’t push you into opening more bottles. ” This even though the mamasans’ main source of income these days comes from liquor commission.

Sometimes, older and more experienced mamasans are also more adept at turning down unsolicited, indecent proposals from clients.
 Businessman Gerry Tan, 45, who owns two boutiques - one in Singapore and another in Shanghai - said he was relieved that the mamasan had handled a recent incident with finesse. He visits the Grand Century Nite Club once a week, spending $3,000 each time.

Said Mr Tan: “One of my clients had started to get touchy-feely with one of the women and the mamasan stepped in to stop him - but she did it so subtly that he even tipped her $300 when we left. “
Mr Tan added: “It’d have been dire if the situation was not handled well, particularly since the man was a new client of mine. “
But younger mamasans too, have their appeal for customers, like events director William Ho. He goes to Deluxe Lido Palace and Dreamz Kabuki once a week and can easily spend more than $4,000 on each visit.
While the 38-year-old declined to elaborate, he said: “Younger mamasans are able to get their girls ‘to go the extra mile’. “
When asked if that included sexual services, Mr Ho said: “Whatever it is, nothing happens in the clubs.”

Entertainment services and companionship aside, the club patrons also expect discretion and appreciate mamasans who “know how to keep mum” about clients’ identities.
Mr Ho added: “Once, I brought a Taiwanese singer and his band members to a nightclub and by the next day, the Chinese media got wind of it.
”We investigated later and found out that a mamasan had told one of her media friends.” He complained to the club owner and the mamasan was fired immediately.

Broker Kenneth Low, 45, said: “Some of my clients are well-known, public faces. I need to be assured that the mamasans can ensure that her girls are not loose-lips.”

He added: “People still tend to associate nightclubs with sleaze - not entirely inaccurate - but ultimately, for many of the patrons, it’s a place to unwind.

”So, it’s definitely taboo if a visit to the nightclub turns into a fire-fighting event.”

- The New Paper