Down
By The River: 5-Star Favourite With a Dash of African
Class
Every now and again, me and My Girl just fancy a
quiet night out, a good meal, and then a bit of
music to wash down the grub and soak up the cocktails.
But imagine if we were back in
Blighty - any five-star hotel over there would be
out of the question. Pricey, posh and a bit up themselves
they are in Britain, and if you don’t look like
a part of the Old School Tie Set, the Jobsworth
gets snooty and asks for your reservations while
inspecting the cut of your jib with a sniff.
“Is Sir sure one has a reservation?”
No such ceremony here mate. They
takes your money whoever you are, and we have the
added advantage that the five-star hotels and restaurants
here give you the benefit of the doubt that you
just might be a guest of the hotel, or maybe at
worst an eccentric tourist, if you don’t quite look
the part.
Whatever reaction your personal
presentation might invoke, they generally treat
you like royalty here, and that has to be one of
the great things about Asia. The Service! You are
who you are, not who you could be or might be. Here
they get them in and treat them like stars: and
they the spoiled and chuffed will enjoy themselves
and come back again too.
Simple really. So off we trotted
to the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel, Sri Phaya and
booked in for the awesome Asian buffet at ETC, the
elegant restaurant with its own patio and very restful,
colorful riverside dining.
On offer for about a grand a pop
is a fantastic buffet featuring the best Thai grub
and dishes, salads, seafoods, meats, sweets, desserts,
starters, stoppers and a full Japanese buffet on
its own. We were starving and got stuck right in
with wine too, and were told we were among the first
to try the new Baron Rothschild Chilean vintage
- a Merlot Central Valley 2004 and what a cracker
it was too! Perfect with all that fine meat and
two veg! And of course we were greeted with a smile
throughout the proceedings.
What a life!
And the the nice thing is that
the restaurant is about ten metres away from the
cool and very comfortable lobby lounge, where “The
girl with the golden voice,” “South Africa’s queen
of pop,” and the “undisputed queen of vocals” Cathy
Manson was onstage – the quotes are from other commentators,
mainly in Africa, who have seen the lady strut her
stuff long before she ever landed here.
Born
in England but raised in South Africa, this quietly
engaging singer began her career as “Carmen” in
FAME at the National Theatre of Namibia. Growing
up, she studied guitar, piano, saxophone and the
flute.
Cathy explains: “From an early
age, I knew that music was the most important thing
in my life and that it would become my career.”
At the Royal Orchid Sheraton every
evening she now fronts the Diamond Jack showband
- a couple of Americans, a Canadian and a Thai who
deliver a tasty few sets of cool material from across
the years, and provide elegant back-up vocals and
instrumentation to compliment the sweet-voiced South
African.
She does Sade and Cyndi Lauper
and Cheryl Crow and any other mainstream singer
you admire. Just ask and she will be ready if not
tonight, then the next time you swing by. The band’s
Canadian leader and piano player Peter also does
a nice line in cool standards and you would not
waste an evening listening to this this guy deliver
the best that the charts have to offer. The contrast
in styles that he and the lady offer, gives a tasty
edge to the night’s entertainment and we were soon
settled in and enjoying what was a very classy show
even this early in her residency.
The multi-talented songstress
has performed on stages large and small in countries
around the world—from intimate clubs to medium-sized
theaters, to huge concert halls with full orchestras,
and she is very realxed and poised as she guides
you gently through the songs that make her more
than a pretty face.
While the band glides effortlessly
through the songs, she has an unforgettable voice—a
combination of power, grace, charm and raw emotion.
Her range is impressive, and her performances are
a reflection of her diverse tastes with jazz, classic
soul, blues and funk, Top 40, Latin Jazz and R&B
all vying for her skills. You name it, she can sing
it—Cathy just loves the music.
If you want you can snack in the
lobby lounge and they have a stellar wine list and
the full range of beers and exotic cocktails. We
were sprawled out on the massive sofas and the service
just never gave up with every detail expertly attended
to by very well-drilled staff.
It’s a great night out downtown
and the best of the riverside bunch for the money!
From July 1st to September 30th,
catch Cathy Manson exclusively at the Lobby Lounge
of the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers
Monday to Thursday from 9 pm to midnight and Friday
– Saturday from 9.30 pm to 1 am. So come down and
welcome the new girl in town.
Royal Orchid Sheraton
Sri Phaya
Lobby Lounge
Tel: 0 2266 9214.
E-mail: outletmgr.rosh@sheraton.com
