Mafiosi (First Part)

Dance clubs come and go. That's one thing a clubber should know when he enters a bar and gets out totally overwhelmed with the sight, sound, skin and cigarette smoke that pervades inside the club. For six years, Malate has been my home and in that span of time, I have seen great night spots debuting with so much fanfare and closes down without anyone being aware of it's final curtain call.

Once there was Ladida tucked at the corner of Nakpil and Orosa streets in the heart of Gay Malate. It was a lesbian bar and on February 15, I will celebrate my sixth year of outing in this kind of lifestyle, when I showed up at an earlier LBGT gathering in that bar set up by PExers many years ago.

I consider Ladida my birthplace and in the months and years that followed, I also started exploring and enjoying other gay spots such as Joy, Mint, Bath, Red Banana, Mister Piggy's and so many others that I now do not remember. They had their glory days but time came when new and more hip club places sprung up around the area. These new hotspots became the crowning glory of Malate and in time their mighty influence had choked the older bars of patrons that used to flock their dance floors.

This constant and never ending pilgrimage from one bar to the next had left a string of club passings that continue to change the landscape around the Nakpil-Orosa-Courtyard area. Those who have stayed long enough in the party scene to witness these constant changes have already embraced the undeniable truth that every club, no matter how popular or memorable it is to its patrons is bound to play a final house music track before it closes down for good.

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This evening, after attending the Pinoyexchange Hanap Barkada Cook-Out Party, I went to Malate to spend the rest of the night partying. I heard from rumors that a new dance club had opened its doors to partygoers like me. The name of the bar is Club Mafia Manila, where in its place once stood the very colorful and artsy Rainbow Project Bar.

The short walk from J. Nakpil street to the Orosa Courtyard was uneventful. Aside from the throngs of gay men who lined the street of Orosa to smoke, socialize with strangers and do people watching, the only interesting sight to see was Che'lu. Unlike last week, it was again packed beyond its capacity. The unbearable heat inside the club is something that will always turn away the beautiful folks who prefer the Class-A standards of BED, but for those who enjoys close body dancing with sweating strangers, Che'lu is the best place to be.


I still remember what happened the last time I set foot in that place. The semikal wasted guy who was seated across my dance space kept on staring at me. I found the guy interesting, but I had my reservations of approaching him. However, he kept on looking at me as if implying that it's alright to get close. Eventually his efforts paid off, and we became bar companions for the rest of the night. Then I met this pretty lady who I made-out with. I swear, if I was a true bisexual, things between us would have ended in some quiet private place. Unfortunately, I was not. Instead, I left her when the semikal guy held my hand and openly expressed his deep liking for me.

Their encounters was something I will remember for a very long time. But no matter how life changing these events were, I don't want such confusion to ever happen to me again.

Therefore, despite my reservation to check the new club, I decided to head to the Courtyard where opposite the entrance of BED, a red carpet awaits those who are curious enough to see what Club Mafia promises to give.

For me, what I really wanted is a club full of people. Since the bar had just opened a few days ago, I was expecting that those who goes to BED and Government would troop in full force to grace Club Mafia's opening. While paying for my 300 peso bar entrance, I could hear cheers coming from inside the club. My first impression was the bar must be packed to its full capacity.

Upon opening the door, a black curtain separates me from the club's main hall. I could still hear cheers beyond the curtain, but this time, it was the announcer's voice that reverberates inside the place.

"Welcome to Club Mafia," the host said.

The moment my eyes casted at the dance floor, my jaw literally dropped at the scene I never expected to see.

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