People are having parties now. There has been a lot of inquires to have events. There are homes in the Gilroy, Morgan Hill, and San Martin area that have huge lots which make it easier to have a successful outdoor function. But there may be a place to throw an event that may not be as big. The houses maybe close together and some cities are strict with noise ordinances. Usually if the city is small then those officers would tend to tell the party to keep it down and give a few warnings. 

How do you have a successful Spanish Latin Party in the Backyard?

Depending on the backyard, you would only need 2 12 inch or 15 inch speakers. They only need to be at least 50 percent in volume. If you are playing Spanish music you will need a level area as a dance floor. Grass or dirt is not a good area to dance but rather cement or a dance floor can be rented. For California, when it comes to Spanish music, I tend to stick with the majority of cumbia music. I usually go with cumbia and throw in some salsa music. It all depends what part of Latin America they are from. I tend to play more banda if they are from Mexico. 

For your Spanish party please be sure to contact Black and White Affair for a party with Latin flavor. 

  I like to help those who need help. I do the majority of the events and I have a few other djs on my team. But for the most part I prep all the playlists for the crew since I know music and I like doing that. There are times where I cannot do an event or my team can not either since we are previously booked or they have different price points. When someone calls looking for a dj I make sure I know their budget and I guide them to djs I know in the local market. Although we will not make a dime from the transaction I am sending out texts and emails to my dj counterparts to make sure the client gets taken care of. Most djs would not do that. I am different. I want to make sure the client gets the best dj they can afford and ensures they have a good party. I want to reward them for being one of the ones they call first.

I had a bride call me for a wedding in June. She sounded really nice and she has a nice intimate wedding planned. Its around where my second child is going to be born so I wouldn’t feel right taking it since I will be with my family. A lot of djs are already booked for the summer but I was able to connect the bride with an experienced dj.

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.

I got a call to do a Quince about a month before the event. A quince takes time to prepare since there is a lot to ponder. What events do we want to do in the quince? How traditional do we want it to be? 

  We were fortunate enough to have it at a spacious San Martin Home. We could be as loud or quite as we like and have as much light as we could since we had a lot of room to work with. 

We always need a grand entrance and the birthday girl came out with Turn Down For What. Right after that they went straight to the Baile Sopresa. Then we did a little dancing then we went into dinner. When dinner was announced the parents did a thank you speech for the guests. 

Then it was time to do some quince events. There was the shoe exchange which was sneakers into cowboy boots which was done with the dad and the quince. Then the crowning was done by the mom and the birthday girl. And finally the sisters presented the doll which was wearing the same type of dress as the quince.

After that then we did the 15 Candle presentation where 15 people who are significant were called up one by one to be with the birthday girl.

Then they had open mic speeches then we went straight to cake with the mananitas. 

After that it was party time with a mix of cumbias, pop, and west coast old school hip hop. 

  As a dj, most of the time we develop an ego. We the best! Well we tend to think like that until you see a turntablist cut and scratch then our ego maybe bruised (a little). Often times djs don’t want to try something new since they will not be good at it. They tend to stay in what they are comfortable with. But at times, djs will step it up and get into music production. 

Why would you get into music production when someone else can do it and you can just download the track? It’s all about customization. Maybe you want a short edit of a song or maybe you just want the intro of the song then the hook then the 3rd verse. It all can be done by you. It can also be a selling point that you can do custom edits for first dances or cheerleader routines. It’s a desirable skill. 

There is something called the Frankenstein edit. I think it was created by a record pool but I’m not 100 percent on that. But it’s when you combine 2 or more of the same song (remixes) that have different drops or breaks. You can put in breaks that you like from the different edits and make it into one seamless track. 

Once you finish a track, then you have a sense of accomplishment. It feels good just to play your track at events. Recently I did a redrum of a pop song and someone came up to compliment it and she was amazed that I told her I did it myself. 

And if you create your own custom edits and don’t share them then you are unique since no one else has the tracks that you edited. You can create your own mash up or blend. 

I have been at the Doubletree/ Pruneyard a few times and it had been great the times I have played there. They have an inside event space for private dinners or parties and they have a nice outside event space for all sorts of functions. It is right off the freeway so it is convient to drive to. The event coordinators and staff are way fun and easy to work with. 

I was able to be part of the Celebration of Life recently. Each Celebration of Life event I have done has never been the same. When I was there, there was a mariachi playing while everyone was eating. Then I was on to play the songs the guest of honor enjoyed. Celebration of Life is a truly a Celebration of family and friends sharing the music that he loved. People got up and danced but it was a very good vibe that night. The weather was nice and the space was well kept.

The outside area has a few ways to enter. If you are there early you can set up before the guests arrive but say you are playing after another band or group then the back entrance will be the way to go. There is a loading parking area that make it for easily transport. Actually, it would be best to set up but going through the back. They had a bar in the back to serve drinks and people were able to partake in the buffet line outside.

I had a formal  private high school dance in February at the Hayes Mansion. The Hayes Mansion is a huge property right off Blossom Hill exit. It is pretty easy to get to. I was able to communicate with the coordinator pretty easy and she was able to let me know where to park to unload my gear. The party was in the main ballroom. They had me set up on a stage with a table so that was nice since it gave me less items to set up.

Students were having dinner buffet style. I was supposed to play good songs early but not the really good ones since we would need them for the dancing portion of the night. Students were so well behaved. I was playing off a list that I could not deviate from and with students wanted a song that wasn’t on that list they were not upset at all. They just said ok that’s alright. One student was like can you play shorter amounts of the song if you can. Basically he wanted a quick mix but due to being limited on the song selections for this dance I had to play longer songs.

This place would be good spot for a high school prom. I mean the name of the place is Hayes Mansion so that is pretty classy itself. They do have a nice outside area where I am sure they can host events too. The main ballroom was big itself and the room acoustics sounded good. I was able to fill up the room with sound with only 2 speakers.

Brides article 

1 Food 2 Music 3 Décor 4 Bar 5 Dances 6 Entertainment 7 Couples Entrance

 8 Reception Location

There was an article put on on brides.com which got their info from Wedding Wire about what the millennial guest love about wedding receptions. I will touch on ones that the dj has their mittens on during the celebration. 

Food is number one on the list. Of course, the dj has nothing to do with selecting the food but I always recommend to the couples to always eat at the wedding. Most time couples get caught up in the excitement of seeing family and friends and taking pictures that sometimes they forget to eat. Make sure you chow down!

Music was marked number 2. I also believe it’s one of the most important factors of a reception. It sets up the vibe for the celebration. During cocktail hour, you want a good atmosphere while your guests are socializing with some upbeat music. Dinner time is not the time to put everyone to sleep, the dj can actually mix feel good music to keep the party going. At times right before dancing the dj can tease with some sing along to get folks in the dancing mood. 

Next on the list are things djs have nothing to do with: Décor, bar and drinks. I can give my two cents on these since I have been to a lot of weddings. Decorations do make a huge difference and is important. Bar and Drinks I have mixed feelings. I have been to some weddings where there was no alcohol and we had a good time. There were other times where they had open bar and it was a crazy good time. If you have beliefs in not having alcohol at your event then do not do it. But if you are ok with a bar then it is a good investment.

Dances are on the list on what guests’ value. The first dance is a monumental as the first dance as husband and wife. I have seen fancy dances mixed in with some modern choreography with a special dj edit. I have seen just a slow dance with the couple slow dancing and enjoying every minute of it. A good dj would not have his dance floor lights on since it does not do the photographer justice to take a good picture of the first dance. Dances also include parents dancing with the bride and groom. 

Entertainment was on that list. Will there be a photobooth? Some djs have their own booth or can refer a trusted vendor to provide that fun wedding service. 

The Grand entrance one of the most important moments of the night. The guests are seated then stand up when the guests of honor come in. On the speakers is a fun song while they stroll in. A good dj will coordinate to make sure everyone walking out is in order then will announce their names. Then when the bride and groom the djs switches up the song. That is when everyone stands up to celebrate the bride and groom. 

A dj does not have any say about the location of the reception area. Most times the couple picks the venue and has a date picked for the wedding. But a good dj would have venues they like and could suggest to the couple in case they are having a hard time securing their event. Just a heads up, these times Saturdays in 2022 are filling up fast and probably already filled. Be open to having a Friday or Sunday wedding if you have not secured Saturday 2022 wedding by now.