Memories Of The Queen Of The Night – Regina Zylberberg,
Was reading a travel article about Formentera island in Spain. It is next to another famous Mediterranean island, namely the party capital known as Ibiza. The trio of Balearic Islands off Spain include Majorca.
To Europeans, Ibiza is like how Bali is to Malaysians and Singaporeans. A much loved holiday destination of sun, sand and sea. Few Malaysians will know Ibiza except the very wealthy and royalty who considered it a playground. I first heard of Ibiza when I interviewed the disco empress or queen of the international glitterati Madame Regine as she was known.
Madam Regine was in KL in to open a gltzy club in Kuala Lumpur in the 80s. She had clubs in New York, Paris, Monte Carlo, Rio de Janeiro, Saint-Tropez and many other party capitals such as Ibiza which she cited a few times. Regine was credited with the invention of live disc jockeys. the modern-day discothèque, by virtue of creating a new, dynamic atmosphere at Paris’ Whisky à Gogo, where the ubiquitous jukebox was replaced by live disc jockeys utilizing linked turntables. I introduced my childhood friend, DJ Odin, to work at Regines KL. Not the EDM DJ of the same name. Must have been nerve wrecking for Odin. Lost contact; last I saw him was in Ampang Jaya or Ulu Klang viilage. Was a sweet Malay kampung boy Anybody knows him?
Regina Zylberberg, is a Belgian-born French singer and night-club impresaria. She dubbed herself the “Queen of the Night. She is now 88 and owned a grand network of discos around the world, all called Regine’s. Although the local club in Plaza Atrium survived briefly, and thinking back, it was quite a bold and daring investment by the diva and local partners. Was an honour to have met her.
Visit Ibiza and find many hotels at MyCen Hotels here: http://www.mycen.my/ibiza-hotel-deals-finder
Picture of Régine au festival de Cannes in 1997 from Wikimedia