Spanish Bilingual djs who are proficient in English and Spanish music does not happen much. Usually one dj specializes in one type of music but it’s a rarity they can rock a party in two languages. Not everyone has the opportunity to be immersed in both languages and cultures. It is important for events like weddings and quinceneras.

People try to do both without doing it justice. I like to share a playlist with my prospective clients to see what kind of Spanish music I would play. I also share my English mixes I posted online so they can feel the energy and mixing style.

A lot of events that I do it seems like the Latin music is what drives people to dance. A good dj feeds the crowd what they want. I did an event recently where they wanted some English and some Spanish. I like to over prepare and I had a lot of Spanish songs in my playlist just in case. It seemed like people really wanted the Spanish music and we went hard with it and they even requested another hour.

Playing cumbias, merengues, reggaeton, and bachata music is a cheat code since they make people want to dance but its also good to have English classics in the back pocket in case the vibe wants to go there.

Bilingual djs should know their limitations and not bite off more than they can chew for the sake of the client and transparent communication is vital for the success of the event. Call Black and White Affair Djs for your Latin Bilingual Spanish dance party.

If you don't have a good mix of Latin songs when you're throwing a Spanish party in LA, your party will be homogenous and blend with every other Spanish party. Rather than seeming like a curated experience with the help of your bilingual emcee, your party will feel like you simply put on a Spotify playlist and press play. Don't let that be the case. Choose some of these popular — and less well-known songs to make your party a memorable experience.

'Congo Mulence' by Machito

Allow guests to mingle with this sultry Latin jazz number. This song sets the mood and can be used during the portion of your Los Angeles party where guests are entering, making their introduction, or grabbing drinks before hitting the dance floor.

'Lo Que Paso Paso' by Daddy Yankee

Now, invite your guests to the dance floor. This Reggaeton song has become an instant classic because of its fascinating composition and electric beat while still being a brilliant reflection of Daddy Yankee's Puerto Rican vibes.

'Tributo al Niño Rivera' by Afro-Cuban All Stars

Think of your Spanish party in LA like a decadently layered dessert or fun Starbucks drink, with every bite — or sip — tantalizing your tastebuds.

Although you may have started with some cool Brazilian jazz, it's time to spark some serious dance moves with this Cuban salsa tune. The most elegant arrangement of instruments including the flute and tres, make this the perfect song to dance and listen to, providing six minutes of pure bliss.

'Mujer Celosa' by El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico

This song doesn't need an introduction as it's arguably one of the best songs to emerge from the premier group in Puerto Rican salsa. Guests will enjoy dancing to this track.

'Procura' by Chichi Peralta

Keep the dance mood going with this high-energy Dominican song that has an intoxicating fusion of tropical sounds — a staple for any Spanish party.

'Woman del Callao' by Juan Luis Guerra

A true Spanish party isn't complete unless you play music from Latin music legend Juan Luis Guerra. This merengue song will ensure the dancing continues unabated. You may even be able to twist your DJ's arm to get a slick remix to the song accompanied by an enticing introduction from your bilingual emcee.

'Guallando' by Fulanito

Another merengue song, Gullando is a classic Spanish party song with an intoxicating uptempo beat, only enhanced by the enchanting accordion in the background.

'Antes de Perderte' by Duki

In the right mix, this Latin urban song can help keep the party going, reinvigorating guests with its electric beat and rhythmic tempo. It also helps that the song has become popular, so bound to be enjoyed and appreciated by partygoers. Your bilingual emcee will also do a great job introducing this 2022 hit.

'Otro Atardecer' by Bad Bunny & The Marias

Bring the vibes down again with this Bad Bunny hit that shows his versatility as an artist.

Consider this an outro to get guests to talk, catch up, or wind down before heading home.

Now is also the time for your bilingual emcee to make his or her final announcements, before inviting guests to slow down from the fast pace.

I recently did a multicultural wedding of a Mexican bride with a white groom. How can you make everyone happy? Do you do 50 percent Spanish and the other half English? You cannot really say I want a certain percentage of kind of music for any event because it is unpredictable.

This is what I do: I play 2 to 3 songs of one language and get a read of the crowd. If they are really getting into then you keep on feeding them. But at the same time you do not want to get too long on one type of music. Then you can throw in a Spanish Banger. The good thing about Spanish Music is that there is a lot of cross over that White folks are familiar with the type of music. I feel you can get away with playing more Spanish music. You can play some salsa and then switch it up with Merengue then you can do some reggaeton then you can go into some English Hip hop.

Going back to our last English/Spanish wedding, I found we played like 70 percent of Spanish and it was a success. Could we have played more English? Yes, we could have but as a dj you have to read the crowd and give them what they want.

When it comes to finding the right dj, then you found Black and White Affair (www.bwadj.com) to get your Spanish Latin Party to next level. We are not a dj service but we are a dj experience.

Some people have no idea what a dj cost these days since they never hired one before. Not everyone can dj a Spanish event. They have to really know the music to truly rock a party. 

For a wedding, in case they want a Spanish Emcee then it will cost more since you may have an Emcee plus a dj who would be mixer. It all depends on how well you want the Spanish Spoken. 

For me, my Spanish is ok. Like If I had to give it a rate, I give it a 4 out of 10. I can communicate and understand everything in Spanish but I would feel comfortable with bringing a Spanish Emcee to the event. I know Spanish music pretty well. How much more would it be to have a Spanish Emcee. It can range from 200 to 500 dollars more to have a Spanish Emcee. 

If you just wanted Spanish music and some basic Spanish Announcements it would cost way less. Hourly Spanish/ English  djs in California can change 150 to 300 per hour. They are unique since they have a music collection and they can usually rock a party in English or in Spanish.

All a dj need would be a basic set up of a controller and 2 speakers. So, a four-hour event would good from 600 to 1200 dollars. Of course, Spanish Weddings would cost more than there is way more preparation. 

Please call Black and White Affair for your latin party vibe.

Failing to plan means you are planning to fail when it comes to setting up a quincerera. Planner and the dj should be in constant communication to make the event memorable. They have to figure out what events are going to be done and what specific songs are going to be used for the event. It would be good to check in a few times to go over any changes. I like to talk at least 3 times during the planning process. The first time to get the general idea. The second time to go over specifics and the third time to go over any loose ends or questions before the event. 

Usually with quinceneras there is a mass then pictures. The mass is a special mass honoring the quincenera. Some folks are not religious and skip the mass but if one is religious then it’s the typical way to start the quincenera. When the quincenra court is taking pictures, the guests can start arriving at the venue and have appetizers or drinks while they wait for the grand entrance.

During this time, the dj will be playing either Spanish music or English music depending on what was chosen. Ideally the dj will have music for both languages to appease the guests. Like the wedding grand entrance, the dj has everyone sit and announce the the important people in the party. A good Dj will coordinate with the group so the dj knows who is who and what order they will be walking in. They will also go over pronouncing the names to make sure they say it right.  Like Weddings, it is never the same. It can be just the quincenera court or it can be just the quicenera with her chambelan. Parents and Padrinos can also be in the group. With times not everyone is doing it traditionally. But if you really want to go with the lineup it will the parents, padrinos, the quinenera court, then the quincenera with her partner, the chambelan. 

After everyone walks in, you have everyone’s attention and it would be good to take advantage of it and make a toast. Parents and Padrinos can also give words of wisdom or appreciation to the guests. It’s the best time to thank the guests for showing up and being part of the celebration.  Before the toasts please make sure everyone has a cup to toast.  If the microphone is wireless you do not need to be close to the dj area but make sure if you do have the microphone any kind do you stand in front of a speaker. You will get feedback.  These toasts don’t need to be long and not everyone that is up with you needs to do one. You can just have one toasts or a few other ones but do not go overboard. People are ready to eat and celebrate. 

I always tell my bride and groom the same thing. Always make sure you eat! When it comes to a big party people get caught in the moment and forget to have the meal. When it comes to getting food please make sure your court, plus parents and padrinos are the first ones to get served. 

What music needs to be played during dinner? Sometimes people hire mariachis to play at their quicenera or a trio. If you do have some guest that appreciate that music then the group usually goes table to table taking requests from the guests. But if that is not in the budget or needed the dj can play English or Spanish music. Everyone is different. Find out what part of latin America the guests are from and you can formulate a playlist. 

No quincenera is planned the same. If you want to go with the traditional then after dinner there is the changing of the shoes and the doll dance will happen. Some folks opt not to the shoes since they maybe wearing the shoes already and just don’t want to do it which is fine. The doll event I have not seen much but I see the shoe change more than the doll dance. Then dad and daughter do a dance then the quinceneara waltz can take place. The quincenara waltz is a classy dance but you can tell the court is way more excited to do the surprise dance. The surprise dance is usually with a more current song with more current dance moves. At this time, members of the court can get people who are sitting down to join the dance floor and the dj can work his magic to build the dancefloor. If that doesn’t work, the dj can invite everyone on the dancefloor to take a group pic then when they are done with the picture then the dj can play a song that everyone loves to dance to. The question of the hour is what type of music do you play for your young guests and for the grown-ups at the event. The party is centered on the youth but the grown-ups are there. Also add the factor that you maybe playing Spanish and English. What works for me is to play songs in pairs or threes. In the start I will play songs that everyone knows then I will throw in songs for the youth then after a few songs throw in songs for the grown-ups. It’s all about reading the crowd. If the grown-ups are not dancing since they are not in the mood then focus on the youth. Not all the youth like the same type of music. Some like current songs or throwbacks that are made popular from tic tok. Just be forewarned that some songs may have explicit lyrics. There are some places where djs can can clean versions of songs. Clean versions of songs mean the profanity is muted or has like a vinyl stop censor over the word so the word is not heard. The content of the song may still be inappropriate so the dj should be familiar with the music to see if it’s actually kid friendly. 

After an hour or so of dancing it would be time to cut the cake. It would be a good time for pictures. It would be good that the dj have a timeline to keep the events in order and let the other vendors know what’s going on. I always let the photographer/ videographer know what is happening so they can capture the magic. 

Then after the cake there can be another dance session. Then there can be the final song of the night where the quince era can dance with her padrinos. 

Again, let me state that a quincenera can be as different or traditional as you want it. Keep the events what you will enjoy to do and there is nothing that is mandatory. This party is celebrating you and should represent who you are and be the way so its enjoyable for you and your loved ones. 

If you are located in the Bay Area, please contact Black and White Affair Dj Services to make your quincenera memorable and stressfree. We make it easy with our music selection and our planning. 

Being able to enjoy different music in different languages has been a blessing while going to events. When it comes to Spanish music, there is so much to choose from. Playlists can have some cumbias, salsas, bandas, bachata, reggaeton, norteno, corridos, and ranchera to name a few. Then you have the English music to think about. How can you get all that music in one event. Some people consider maybe getting a Spanish band then getting an English Dj. Bands can be expensive so if they want to get all that music then they should consider a Bilingual Spanish Dj that can cover all that music.

I find the music that the older generation likes you play early since sometimes the older folks ten to leave early. Like I would play some rancheras during the dinner part of the night. I would save the dance Spanish music when it is time to get down. 

How much of Spanish then English do you play? Each event is different. You can base it on what the clients want and use that to gauge. A dj can have a must playlist and makes sure those songs are played. But I noticed in Spanish Bilingual events folks really get into the Spanish Music. For me if its time for English music I go for the hitters that won’t fail. I like to go to the classics for funk and old school. There maybe some new trending tracks but with old school its been tried and succeeded. 

Consider Black and White Affair Dj for your Spanish English Event. Bay Area and now in Southern California.

Omar@bwadj.com

One of my go to songs to get any party started in any language is Suavemente by Elvis Crespo. This song gets the hips going into merengue dancing. It’s a really basic step and not complicated so it can make any one with basic Cuban motion look like they know what they are doing. Throw in some turns and you look like a hero on the dance floor. This song was released in 1998 but it is one of the most requested songs for every Spanish party. This one song is a must.

Despacito was a hit in 2017 but people are still requesting it. I even have folks who do not speak Spanish ask for it. It did appeal to non Spanish folks since they have a rendition with Justin Bieber in it.  It is a good raggaeton song.

La Chona by Los Tucanes De Tijuana is a jam. It has an infectious beat. I do remember doing a party and a patron told me grandma wants to hear that song at least 3 times. I am not one to play songs three times in a one night but this one you can get away with since its such a fun song. This song will get people to the dance floor in no time.

The last but not least song is The Caballo Dorado by Payaso de Rodeo. This is a line dance and I a least get two requests a night for a Spanish Party. It does start off slow then it picks up. The slowness gives folks time to line up and then it goes super fast. It is a crowd pleaser.