Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu recruited this talented 7-piece band from the Philippines to delight the crowd that regularly gathers at KK’s first and only Latin grill & bar.
Equipped with an extensive repertoire of popular music such as rock, latin, R&B, reggae, top 40 and pop, the energetic Switch Groove promise to give you the urge to dance.
The band members comprise 6 guys and a girl, so let’s meet the band.
Cooky is the band’s only lady and leads on vocals. A long time visitor to KK, Cooky previously fronted the band Swerve who played at Tang Dynasty in 2003 and BED in 2006.
The male lead vocalist JC, inspires with heartfelt singing and is new to KK.
Joe, second on vocals, returns to Kota Kinabalu after a previous stint at Shenanigans with the band Poetry. Joe also appeared with the band Swerve when they performed in BED, back in 2004.
Dean strums the rhythm guitar and plays the keyboard. He formerly played the keys for DB8, a band popular with the KK pub crowd.
Art plays the bass guitar and also previously starred in DB8. He returns to KK after successful stints with that band at Shenanigans.
Vin is the lead guitarists and Rod is on drums. Both joined Switch Groove after successful stints with other bands.
Switch Groove gets the party started at Rumba, which is open every day except Sundays, from 5pm – 1am, or until 2am on weekends and the eve of public holidays.
Rumba is in the city centre, located at ground level, street level at Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu, and as KK first and only Latin grill and bar and offers vibrant flavoursome Latin food, a great selection of wines and a marvelously minty Mojito. Cuban cigars and great music are par for the course.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
So there you have it, 7 reasons every week to make Shenanigan’s your choice for a night out in Kota Kinabalu. Find Shenanigan’s at the Hyatt Regency Kinabalu in the heart of KK’s night life and pub hub.
Amidst all the hype about 1Borneo and the spanking new cinemas of Golden Screen Cinemas, you may be forgiven for not realising that Growball Cinemas had an upgrade and they too have a new cinema.
Fun & Games
Fun Square, which is accessible from Centrepoint Shopping Centre’s Palm Square, is a recent addition to the plethora of entertainment options associated with the Groball name. Spread over two levels, it includes an area with computers for Internet access and LAN games, a huge new arcade with a variety of games and a buffet restaurant and lounge.
The pride and joy of Fun Square however, is Growball’s new additional cinema number 8, which easily takes the crown as Kota Kinabalu’s top theater hall. But let’s start on the outside.
As you walk up the stairs from Palm Square, you are greeted by the vibrant and colourful front of Fun Square. A giant big-screen above the entrance shows trailers of current and upcoming movies to whet your appetite. A new Box Office is off to the left (although this doesn’t seem to be in use yet) and a gleaming new confectionery counter is immediately adjacent.
A set of escalators will take you up to the next level and entrance to cinema 8. You are greeted by another, smaller confectionery booth, which we guess are so that punters coming from the 8th floor needn’t walk all the way down.
Inside Growball’s Ciname 8
Growball’s cinema 8 itself is a contender for biggest cinema in Kota Kinabalu with over 300 seats (tbc). The entrance is at the top and back of the stadium-seating and offers an oh-wow moment as you take in the view of the deep, wide theatre hall that swoops down to the stage below.
The stage area is big enough for a small performance and it’s clear that the theatre was designed with more than just movies in mind. Indeed, Growball cinema 8 is available to rent for presentations, product launches and lectures.
A comfortable seat especially for long movies
The seats in the cinema are chunky and solid and the high seat-backs proves to be very comfortable.
All the arm-rests can lift up, ensuring that, like in GSC, every seat is a potential love seat. With slightly different padding compared to the GSC line, the Growball seats feel a smidgen more comfortable as it gives more support. This is good for those 130 minute blockbusters.
The beauty of cinema 8 is that every single seat in the house has a great experience of the screen. The screen is big enough to be impressive from the very back row, yet not so big that viewers in the front row will have to crank their necks to catch the entire scene. The same goes for seats on the extreme edges, even from there the picture looks great.
The theatre is equipped with all the state of the art surround sound you’d expect from a new installation, which nicely rounds off the experience.
The only bad thing to be said about Growball’s cinema 8 is that like every other cinema in KK, the aircon can get a bit cold. So if you’re prone to shiver easily, do bring along a jumper.
Oh and remember, the big, new movies usually show in cinema 8, so catch them while they’re new.
Club nights at Blue Note are as hot as ever in August with the usual throng of international DJs heading to Kota Kinabalu to rock KK’s nightlife. Featuring some (pretty) new faces and old favourites, August’s Generation Y is set to please.
1 & 2 August
The ever popular DJ Nikki starts off the month’s clubbing action on the first weekend of August. One of Malaysia’s most prominent DJ celebs, DJ Nikki’s passion for dance music can be heard and felt in her thumping beats.
8 & 9 August
August’s 2nd weekend belongs to DJ Fono as he brings his highly sought after progressive trans music from KL to KK. Locally acclaimed, DJ Fono has supported big name acts like Sasha, Dave Angel and Pete Tong and have played alongside greats such as Paul Oakenfold and Daniella Davoli.
15 & 16 August
As we reach the 3rd week of August, it’s all DJ Terence C. Having played alongside a slew of well-known DJs and known himself as the stable of Zouk Kuala Lumpur, DJ Terence C isolates the funkier elements of progressive and house for the benefit of KK clubbers.
22 & 23 August
DJ Gabriel, better known as one of the resident DJs on 88.9 Capital FM, is as dedicated to dance music as the show, Turn It Up, that he co-hosts. Eager to please the crowd, you can expect funky R&B, hip-hop and soul music.
29 & 30 August
On the last weekend of August the ever popular DJ Shazz returns to Blue Note. Popular for his devotion to true house music, DJ Shazz is not to be missed as he rounds up Blue Note’s August chapter of Generation Y at Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa.
Comedy Court is a Malaysian institution that has been delighting audiences since 1996. Allan Perera and Indi Nadarajah, Comedy Courtiers of note, are famous for having audiences in stitches with alter egos and comedic match-ups the likes of Loga & Singam, Mat & Din, the two Dato’s, KC & TC and more.
For a belly-full of laughs and an evening of light hearted entertainment, don’t miss the Comedy Court Dinner show hosted by Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa in Kota Kinabalu on 19 August at 6.30pm, priced at RM 150 per person.
For reservations phone +60 88 327 871 or email tah@shangri-la.com.
