S.B. Show time. D.E. Damon Emanuel, born in New York and raised in California, forty years old. S.B. Background to that scenario. D.E. Living in L.A., working in the field of restaurants, photography, and as a musician. My wife, a model and actress, my two children, girls three and five. We have a pretty fab life. S.B. How long in Bali and why? D.E. Two years now. We actually came here to visit my father, who lives here. I had a business in California, which I was thinking about selling, I decided to sell it. The lifestyle here is just so overwhelmingly lovely and I’m really enjoying it. S.B. How did you start promoting events? D.E. I was at the Hu’u Bar, and Shawn, the owner noticed that I had a big circle of friends and asked me if I would like to put on something, an event, and be part of something at his club, just to see what happens. I dived in and did it and it turned out to be really successful. The event was the Masquerade Ball. It was during the off-season and it was one of the busier nights they had had in a while. I really enjoyed it and so decided to keep going with it. Down the line, two weeks ago during my Splash party at Cocoon, I was approached by Prestige magazine to do their events. I jumped on it. S.B. Stop the music. That’s a whole ‘nother ball game. D.E. Yeah, we actually got an eight-page editorial coming out in the July issue of Prestige magazine. It’s on our life in Bali, on Melissa and myself and D.E. Promotions here in Bali, which is my company. S.B. Would you elaborate a bit more on that? D.E. I had met the editor and chief, Ronald Liem, prior to one of his Prestige events in Jakarta, and when he came here, to the Splash event, he was impressed and asked if I would do events for Prestige. That’s it. S.B. What events have you done here to date? D.E. The last Splash party a couple of weeks ago at Cocoon, the Privilege party at the Woo Bar at the W Hotel, the Voyeur at the SOS Anantara and the Beach Party series on the beach across from the Cocoon, Summer Nights. S.B. Are these ongoing events or one-shot deals? D.E. Ongoing. Everything I do is a series of events. S.B. When we talk about events, correct me if I’m wrong, we’ve got lots of plans for Prestige magazine. Can you lay some of that on us without blowing your cool? D.E. (Laughter) Yeah. This high season I’ve got about twenty parties that I’m doing, and that’s just in the August month.
S.B. What are the themes? D.E. Well, Voyeur is about beautiful girls dancing half-naked, Privilege at the Woo Bar instigates a real New York vibe in Bali, at an exclusive club in such a beautiful venue. Of course, Splash, bikini, hot, having a good time, The beach parties, where it starts at 10pm and goes on until 3pm, bringing in top DJs from all over the world. Actually the parties are based more around the events and the people, not the DJs. When I started, I watched most of the promoters who were just basically bringing DJs into town and trying to pack in as many people as they could, I kind of took a different approach. I care more about the crowd and have a guest list door policy. It’s more about building events, of course the music is important, but it’s not about the music.
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S.B. It’s not about the music. Well that’s a first amongst the competitors. D.E. Who say the opposite. S.B. Exactly, I have heard people ask ‘What’s his background?’, or say ‘He knows nothing about music.’ Personally, I’ve been to some of your events with people that came up to me and said, is that right? Well take a look, what does the crowd tell you? D.E. So along with that, I will have models and celebrities coming in for the high season, and some very special surprises. S.B. Just for the record, you are a musician as well who plays guitar and sang in a band for a number of years. So you do know about music. D.E. Yeah, but my musical tastes are more about the 70s and 80s. There are some DJs I actually get excited about and I don’t even know their names, but I start feeling the music and dancing and I’m happy. Of course I have people around me who know the DJs. You know, in New York or wherever. You look around, you want to talk to people, meet people. The music is the background, and if it’s good, it makes you feel better. S.B. Do you plan on staying here in Bali? D.E. Yes. My wife is happy, the kids are happy, definitely. It’s a home for us, and I get so many interesting offers, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia. So it’s growing and of course with my Rock n’ Roll background, I have incredible connections. Eventually, I’ll be doing concerts and festivals and I think that’s the path and the road that I’ll be on. S.B. There you have it, a very candid, up-front, and honest interview. Bravo. For sure the proof is in the pudding, get it on Damon, and bang a gong, been a pleasure. Chow mein, Salvador Bali
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