The legendary life of Louie Y.
The book is called Good Morning, Time to Sleep. It’s a very apt title for Louie Ysmael’s biography. This would be apt for me as well since I don’t sleep until sunrise, just like Louie Y. No one who has known Manila’s nightlife scene would even ask who “Louie Y.” is. Everyone knows him as that.
I first met Louie when I was a teenager and was not allowed to enter Stargazer, as I was underage. I was still in high school when an aunt who was Louie’s friend brought me to one of his clubs. He saw me trying to convince the front desk to let me in, as my aunt introduced me. He was wondering why my aunt would bring someone underage, but he knew my dad, so he let me in but told me he wouldn’t serve me any alcohol. That was the first of many nights of four decades I would hang out with Louie Ysmael.
The King of Manila Nightlife formally launched a coffee-table book chronicling his colorful life and documenting his adventures and misadventures, from his ’70s discos to today’s Superclubs. It was on Nov. 22, 2022, his birthday, that the book was launched at the country’s number-one nightclub, Xylo at the Palace in BGC.
The coffee-table book he had been working on with his team for the past two years was co-produced and co-written by business partner and friend GP Reyes with writer Enzo Teodoro, art director Olivia Repotente with support from Carmina Sanchez and Chere Gioskos.
The complete title of the book is Good Morning, Time to Sleep: The Adventures and Misadventures of Manila’s Nightlife Legend, a piece of hardbound history so beautifully put together with a treasure trove of priceless photographs and visuals from the Louie’s earliest days to all the eras of the bar and club scene that he has lorded over since 1979, all accompanied by some magnificent storytelling by its writers and Louie’s personal friends’ testimonials.
The limited-edition run documents the life and times of the one and only king of Manila nightlife and is a tactile trip down memory lane for clubbers from the ’60s to the present day, showcasing some of the Philippines’ most celebrated nightspots. This coffee-table book is a must-have for anyone who’s ever had an evening out in any decade in one of the world’s most exhilarating party capitals.
Guests all lined up to have their books signed and Louie graciously obliged, writing personalized dedications for everyone who secured a copy. The party shifted into a higher gear as Arnel Genterone and Jon Monreal, two DJs that have been playing in his clubs since Euphoria and Venezia, took to the decks to keep the guests dancing all night!
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For those interested in getting a copy of the book, please message Cindy Memphin at (0916) 469-1098.
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