The Story of Stargazer, Nightlife King Louie Ysmael's First Club

The following is an excerpt from the book Good Morning, Time To Sleep: The Adventures and Misadventures of Manila’s Nightlife Legend, written by Louie Ysmael with Enzo Teodoro and GP Reyes. We are publishing it here with Ysmael’s permission. 

Cover of the book chronicling the life story of Louie Ysmael

Stargazer opened in December of 1979. It was my first club or “Disco” short for Discotheque as they were known at the time. It was situated on the top floor, the 19th to be exact, of the Silahis Hotel, with a commanding 360-degree view of Manila Bay. It was a beautiful place, most especially at night. There’s nothing like towering over city lights and listening to good music. The interior was tropical-inspired, with luxuriously cushioned sofas, and nine open cubicles surrounding the dance floor.

We had cutting-edge infinity lighting with a dancing rain light motif, which simulated a cage around the dance floor, designed by lights and sound expert, Wopsy Zamora. Above it all, hung the disco mirror ball, a quintessential fixture of the era. The club emanated a distinct and elegant European feel. It was the first nightspot in Manila to play Italian and French Eurodisco dance hits, apart from the usual American club tunes. At appropriate times at night, we would switch from fast to slow music, much to the delight of the couples in the room. In all my clubs, the DJs are instructed to observe and read the crowd so they know what kind of music to play.

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Entering Stargazer was not easy, because it was the first club in the country to implement a membership card. Each cardholder was entitled free entry and the liberty to take three other guests with them. If you had no card, there was a bit of a cover charge per head, which came with one drink.

We had a scenic elevator, which VIPs could access as soon as they got out of their car. It was quite unique at that time. The music was the best of the 70s and 80s. We were instrumental in bringing the latest hits to our local radio stations, thanks to my frequent travels and constant monitoring of the international music scene. At one point, I would travel to New York multiple times in a year to purchase new records for the club from a local spot called, Downstairs Records on 6th Ave.

The Stargazer card was one heck of an item. It was controversial as well as coveted and many times comical. Henry Sy of ShoeMart fame back then, was introduced to me by his son, Harley and his son-in-law, Louie Coson. They brought him to the club one night, after which I sent him a personalized Stargazer card a few days later. He would surprisingly come alone during much earlier hours and we would sit around and chat as he sipped on tea. He was a wonderful, soft-spoken, kind, and humble man. He even came one late night with no bodyguards and joined my table. A squabble between two prominent friends escalated beside our table, which prompted me to usher him out and keep him away from danger.

Photo collage from the book featuring Ysmael with friends and guests during Stargazer's run in the 1980s

One day Louie Coson, who had become a great friend, told me that he was with Harley, Mr. Sy, and Mr. John Gokongwei. The two taipans were talking about their acquisitions and assets when out of the blue, Mr. Sy pulled out his Stargazer card from his wallet and asked Mr. Gokongwei if he had one. “Big John”, as he was known, said in Chinese “ No, what’s that?” and Mr. Sy made a swatting downward motion with his hand, as if to say “then you aren’t privileged.” lt was a funny, but heartwarming story indeed about two of the country’s giants of industry talking about a card from a little nightclub. A few years later, Harley even mentioned to me that he still had the card on his desktop somewhere among the clutter. What an honor indeed to have made even a small impression on this great man’s life.

'Gazer was frequented by the top people in Manila—socialites, businessmen, celebrities, athletes, and politicians. The crowd was the best of the best—the lines went all the way to the entrance of the lobby—and because of that, it was no stranger to scandals and issues.

One evening, I was dancing with Angela Clemmons, known then for her hit song “Give Me Just A Little More Time,” when a flashy Arab guy in a white Sharkskin suit entered the disco. He was so fucked up, he started dancing obnoxiously close to us. I told him off, and the next thing I knew, he had already unzipped his pants, and started flipping his tiny dick on the dance floor. Appalled by his despicable behavior, I ended up breaking his ribs with a few kicks with my cowboy boots. We threw him and his security detail out of the place, after which I retired to my suite a few doors down from Stargazer.

The next day, while completely hungover, I was woken up by a call from the hotel operator. Irritated that my sleep was interrupted so early in the morning, I reluctantly took the call. It turned out to be Jose Aspiras on the line, the Minister of Tourism, and I was being summoned to his office immediately. A hangover has never disappeared so quickly. When I arrived, he calmly asked what had happened, as the guy we beat up was (a prominent member of Kuwaiti society). Apparently, their Embassy got a hold of the incident and filed a complaint with the DOT. A formal case was filed against me for physical injury. While in his office, I explained the situation, and won over his sympathy. However, because it was a Tourism case involving a foreign VIP, I had to resolve it within two weeks. I then had to call up my uncle, Atty. Rafael “Raffy” Recto, my mom’s younger brother to represent me. To cut the long story short, I had to plead guilty to the charges, because the son of a bitch bribed one of my DJs to testify that I instigated the fight. As a result, I was given the option to either spend two weeks in jail or pay a 200 peso fine, of which I chose the latter.

Incidentally, while all of this was going on, this Kuwaiti idiot was partying in his hospital suite in Makati Med. After he had left the country, I was informed by their Embassy that I was declared persona non grata in Kuwait. A few years after, during the Iraqi invasion in Kuwait during the Gulf War, Iraqi troops managed to capture and hold this asshole as their prisoner. What goes around, comes around. Justice had been served.

Good Morning, Time To Sleep: The Adventures and Misadventures of Manila’s Nightlife Legend is out now. For inquiries on how to get a copy, send a message to 0916-4691098 and 0917-8534747.

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