We are having a heat wave during this month of September. Heatwave or not I always talk to the planner about having some sort of shade for my gear. With extreme heat, it can cause the speakers to shut off and also the computer will not play music.

  We were having a nice outside ceremony. Right before the ceremony everyone was trying to cool down in the bar area and were reluctant to go outside. The venue did provide some umbrellas spread out amongst the chairs.

 The ceremony had two officiants with some who specialized in the Jewish culture while the other focused on the Spanish component.

It was a nice blend of two cultures and the bride and groom left the ceremony with a festive Spanish song.

  For the cocktail hour, we played Spanish bolero music. Bolero is like slow tempo Spanish music. It was love themed. Again everyone was in the bar area and not in the reception area. We had to round everyone out to the reception area so we can do grand entrance.

 Bridal party came out to Big Energy by Latto while the bride and groom came out to Through the Fire by Chaka Khan. We had Spanish and English announcements. We had a bilingual emcee.

But we can tell everyone wanted to dance. And we gave them what they wanted: Lots of Salsa and Spanish hitters to get everyone moving. Of course Bad Bunny was requested and they got him. Bride and groom got a confetti send off which made an awesome picture.

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A quinceanera is not only a rite of passage for a young girl but also an opportunity to throw a wonderful party for family and friends. Planning a Quinceanera can be a time consuming process but is worth it in the end. Here are some great tips for how to have the best Quinceanera in the Los Angeles area.

Choosing the Venue

One of the most essential decisions you’ll make is the venue. Whether you are hosting a quinceanera in Glendale, Burbank, Santa Clarita or somewhere else in the Greater LA area, there are tons of fabulous venues to choose from.

The first thing to do when selecting a place is to determine the number of guests you anticipate and a rough budget. This will help you narrow down your choices. Visiting a few venues can help you get a feel for their vibe and things like how you will setup the event and decorate. Be sure to book in advance as many of the best quinceanera venues in Los Angeles will fill up, especially on weekend dates.

Hire a Professional DJ and Photographer

During the event, you want to be free to truly enjoy the festivities rather than ensuring everything goes as planned. Hiring a professional DJ is a great way to take some pressure off of you. The DJ can keep the crowd entertained and will ensure you have a good sound system. Be sure to work with your DJ to request any music you’d like. Whether you prefer classics like Selena, the reggaeton of Bad Bunny, or banda like El Trono de Mexico, a DJ will work to ensure they cultivate the perfect atmosphere.

A photographer is also a great choice. There will be many important moments that you want to capture. Professional photographers are experts at considering things like lighting, angles, and framing in order to create beautiful photos that will be prized memories for years to come. Be sure to give your photographers a heads up on the schedule of events and must capture shots.

Consider the Menu

There are many options when it comes to food. You can hire a caterer or save some budget by doing a potluck. The key is planning out the menu beforehand. A great option for a quinceanera is to have a buffet setup which can conserve spaces for other festivities such as dancing.

Of course, one of the features of any Los Angeles quinceanera is the cake. You’ll want to make sure that the cake matches your theme for the event. Many people enjoy having the cake be an expression of their personality from the filling and décor to the cake topper.

Plan Engaging Events

A quinceanera typically has many events that keep guests excited throughout the evening. While each party is unique, here are some great event ideas for your Los Angeles quinceanera:

·             Entrance – plan your entrance and that of your court while your DJ plays music of your choice

·             Toast – your opportunity to thank the guests and your parents’ opportunity to recognize you

·             Changing of the Shoes – the father typically changes the guest of honor’s shoes from flats to heels

·             Quinceanera Waltz – the first dance is typically performed with your father or a male family member, recognized the father-daughter bond

·             Dance of the Last Doll – symbolizing the transition from child to young lady, a doll is given to a younger sibling or cousin

·             Surprise Dance – your damas and chambelanes can perform a choreographed dance with you in coordinating outfits

·             Last Song – the last son typically involves the birthday girl dancing with parents and important family members and signals the end of the night

Find the Best Los Angeles DJ for your Quinceanera

If you are planning this important milestone, feel free to contact us for more information about how we can partner with you to help make your quinceanera special. Our professional Los Angeles DJs will help you with an event your family and friends will remember for a long time! Please contact www.bwadj.com

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What to Look for in a High School Dance or Prom DJ

School dances offer high school kids a much-needed break from the humdrum and responsibility of school life. It's the perfect time to socialize and de-stress. It's also one of the few events the school organizes that most teens can get excited about. To live up to these expectations, a school dance needs the right DJ. The right DJ is someone who can keep a group of high-energy teens engaged, excited, and enjoying themselves during the event.

Before you hire a DJ for prom, homecoming, or any school dance, conduct a brief assessment of their skill and professionalism. This is what you need to scrutinize.

1. Music Selection

A DJs music selection is the most relevant assessment criteria, especially for teen events. Teenagers can be some of the trickiest group to cater to, especially as music tastes and trends differ almost weekly. This requires a high school dance or prom DJ to have their finger on the pulse of the latest trends in dance music. 

This doesn't mean the DJ must be young because most high school dance DJs often explore the teen culture and music trends to create playlists indicative of the audience. 

Ask to listen to a sample track list of other teen events they've DJed. If you think the mix is original and appropriate, you can always request changes to finetune your dance's playlist. 

2. Organizational Skills 

Organizing a school dance is difficult enough without the added stress of managing unorganized vendors. Trying to assess how organized a DJ is can be challenging. But  warning signs exist that show a DJ isn't organized: 

They don't respond to messages in a reasonable timeframe (1 to 2 business days)

They are unable to meet obligations on time (sending a sample playlist late or failing to provide references)

They are disengaged in the planning (short text or email responses that don't show an understanding of the task)

3. Extras on Offer 

It helps if your DJ offers a few extras — lighting or special effects — as you won't need to hire another vendor to provide these extras. 

4. Reviews or Testimonials

By now, you already know how important reading reviews are to gauge the type of service you're going to receive from your school dance or prom DJ. But more important than Google or Yelp reviews is getting testimonials. If the DJ you're considering is reputable, they should have — at the very least — one or two clients willing to provide a reference. You can use this reference's testimonial to ascertain their level of professionalism. Ideally, the client details they provide will have organized a teen event or high school dance. 

5. Experience Being a School Dance or Prom DJ

Trying to please a group of teenagers — getting them off their phones and engaged in the event — makes being a school dance or prom DJ more challenging than a wedding or corporate DJ. A DJ that doesn't have experience with high school events won't know how to invigorate or manage the crowd. But a DJ with experience hosting teen events will.

If you're organizing a high school dance or prom DJ in Burbank, Glendale, Los Angeles, Pasadena, or Santa Clarita, consider getting in touch. 

As a DJ with experience MCing teen events and high school dances, I've perfected the strategy to make your school dance memorable — for all the right reasons

Navigating wedding entertainment is one of the most agonizing parts of wedding planning. If you're organizing a wedding in or around the Los Angeles area, you may already know that finding a good Los Angeles wedding DJ is by far more challenging than any other. Despite the number of DJs in the area, finding a DJ that ticks all your boxes are

What You're Paying for When Hiring a Los Angeles Wedding DJ

Prepare to pay anything from $1,000 to $2,000 or more to hire a Los Angeles Wedding DJ.  This process is comparable to buying a car. You could save money upfront by getting a cheaper vehicle, but it will likely be riddled with issues and require you to pay extra for repairs, while you Uber or Lyft when it's in repair. Alternatively, you could get a luxury vehicle that comes with a luxury driving experience. Hiring a Los Angeles Wedding DJ is similar. Trying to save a buck can lead to a devastating experience at your wedding. But the price tag isn't always worth it. Instead, a reputable DJ can express what the cost entails, as it should account for the following:

Time: 

The hourly rate doesn't only include the few hours your Los Angeles DJ spends at your venue but the prep time. Before the big day, your DJ should be spending time preparing and perfecting the playlist. Then, on the day, your DJ will spend time traveling to the venue, setting up, performing, and breaking the set down.

Equipment:

Equipment maintenance is essential to achieving the kind of set your guests will appreciate.

A DJ that short changes on maintenance to cost cut is a DJ that's set will break down in the middle of your wedding, requiring your guests to adlib. If you think that's impossible, ask your friends about some of their Los Angeles Wedding DJ stories.

Music:

Music isn't free. To play copyright music — most well-known songs or beats — at your wedding, your DJ needs to purchase or rent each song, which quickly adds up. 

Operational Cost and Insurance:

Business licenses, rent, marketing costs, and insurance are all costs your Los Angeles Wedding DJ has to budget for while running their business. If they don't account for these costs, the results show up in their work.

3 Must-Follow Tips When Hiring a Los Angeles DJ

Now that you know why your Los Angeles Wedding DJ can demand their fees, you should practice the following:

Conduct an Interview

Save yourself from future trouble by conducting interviews for your shortlisted DJs.

At this point, you should have already seen pictures of their setup and contacted references. 

The interview is to determine if they're the right fit. 

The interview doesn't have to be face-to-face, you can do it over Zoom or phone, but you want the DJ to walk you through their process, style, and professional experience.

This is also the time to get clarity for any questions or concerns.

Go With Your Gut

Don't be persuaded by Google reviews when hiring a DJ. 

Unfortunately, there are many reviews — both positive and negative — that are fake. Relying only on your and your partner's instincts could be more accurate, especially if these feelings concern red flags.

Review Their Contract

Should disputes arise, having an understanding — and copy — of the contract ensures you have adequate recourse.

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Black and White Affair had a ball recently at the Double Tree Hotel in San Jose. It is always good to ask for exact details. I was coordinating with the event planners and what stuck in my head was to make sure the playlist was kid friendly. When I think kid friendly I was thinking maybe for elementary school kids. So I recently have done an elementary school event and I was going to use that as my primary playlist and I was going to look up some more disney songs. Then later I asked about the ages of the “kids” and they were high school age to mid twenties. I totally switched up the playlist. I looked at what was trending now and went through my high school lists and pick and chose what I thought would work,

They had a pirate theme and it was a beautiful night. There is something nice about having an event outside. There was a lot of fun energy at the event. Current songs mixed in with club hip hop classics set the vibe. But it is always important to add some latin flavor in mix. California has a lot of latin influence and it is good to have that in your playlist. Although some people may not know to speak spanish but they do know spanish songs to dance to.

So in a nutshell: Know your audience and be able to cater to their requests. Being prepared with a list is very helpful as your base but you need to be able to go with the crowd.

Dj Gamble came through that night. Originally we had booked the event on a Friday and then a few days before the event I was informed it would be on Saturday. I had another event booked that day so I called up Dj Gamble and once again he came through.

A good thing to ask your dj company if they have other members on the team for those just in case moments. Think Black and White Affair for your Dj needs in the Bay Area and now serving the Los Angeles Area.

Recently I have been getting inquiries for Corporate events in the middle of the day. Before this year I would get the calls to do the Holiday party and they had an agenda to follow. Usually at these events employees get recognized and often times they have a raffle to build excitement. The bosses would give some motivational speeches and the folks would have a good time.

These new inquiries recently are for shorter amount of time so about 2 to 3 hours in the middle of the day. I believe more and more companies are doing this. Since the pandemic shut down a lot of activities companies are now having more events to show appreciation to their staff. It does make a huge difference when companies have network and social events for their staff. I worked a day job where my principals would do a lot to bring us together and celebrate us. But the last principal (I am away from that now and ten times happier I may add)  had never showed any appreciation and work was not as fun anymore as it was when we had more functions as a staff.

These corporate events do not need to be fancy. Simple does work. Why not have a catered lunch with a guest speaker with music. Or make it a fun team event and compete for prizes to build up team with an upbeat soundtrack.  It does not need to be fancy or expensive. It makes the work day fun and festive and your staff will appreciate it.

Please call Black and White Affair for your Corporate needs.

DJs in Los Angeles are a dime a dozen.

Good DJs aren't nearly as common — and good Spanish DJs even less so. But your event relies on you finding a top-tier Los Angeles DJ if you want will create an unforgettable atmosphere — unforgettable for all the right reasons, that is.

Finding that kind of DJ isn't as simple as searching for a DJ in the Los Angeles area. Nope. To ensure you're hiring the best DJ, you need an action plan that includes asking five critical questions during your search.

5 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Los Angeles DJ That Specializes in Spanish Music

This guide can work whether or not you require a Spanish music DJ, by substituting questions focused on Spanish music with whichever genre you require. But, since finding a top-tier Spanish DJ that understands the assignment is far more complex than finding DJs specializing in other genres, this guide will highlight the intricacies of this undertaking.

What Type of Spanish Music Do they Play?

Most DJs are tangentially acquainted with Spanish music and their mixes reflect this. If you'd prefer a varied playlist that has some much-loved but deep cuts, you should question the kind of music they play as this will be the most obvious giveaway regarding their knowledge of the genre.

If you'd like to add some Bachata to the Playlist, what would be their picks? You can do this with any genre you have in mind. You could also test their knowledge by questioning the music they'd play to appease any age group. If you're planning a wedding, you want your DJ to play music everyone, even older relatives and guests can enjoy.

Are Their Reviews Great?

Reviews are the best way to substantiate whether a DJ is any good. But, some DJs manipulate their reviews to increase their ratings.

So, an insider tip would be to scrutinize a DJ's reviews. Look at who posted the review and their review history. For example, an obvious fake review would come from an account with no review history. If a DJ has several five-star or one-star reviews from customers who've never reviewed other businesses, these reviews are likely fake.

But even if a reviewer has a history, examine their history. Why would a reviewer who's primarily reviewed businesses in Greensboro, North Carolina, suddenly be reviewing a Los Angeles DJ? Yes, people can host events wherever, but does their review history reflect hosting an event in Los Angeles? Have they reviewed caterers, venues, videographers, photographers, or other vendors in Los Angeles? If not, then it's likely a fake review. Only pay attention to reviews from real accounts if you want to determine if you're hiring a good Los Angeles DJ.

How Long Have They Been in Business?

To hire a top-tier DJ — not the average run-of-the-mill DJ with a generic mix and tacky interruptions — you should pay special attention to their years in business. Anyone can create a mix and learn to DJ, but it takes years to understand how to develop mixes for the occasion, feeds off the crowd's energy, and listen to your clients' needs.

The longer a DJ has been in business, the more time they've had to hone their craft, meaning you're hiring them at their peak and not getting a DJ still learning how to wield their skills and mixes.

Is Their Equipment Good?

Another way to separate a run-of-the-mill DJ from a pro is to assess their equipment. There are enough Los Angeles DJs that entertain as one of many other side hustles; usually, their equipment would reflect this. What type of mixers or turntables do they use? Are these low, mid, or high-end brands? You may think that the equipment doesn't make a difference, but it determines the sound and quality of the performance.

Unless you want a lackluster sound, your DJ should use brands like Roland, Pioneer, and Denon, not entry-level brands like Numark or Hercules.

What Type of Events Do They DJ?

There's a difference between corporate event DJs, club DJs, and personal events DJs. You're not going to — or at least you shouldn't — hire a club DJ for a wedding or quinceañera. Instead, you'd want your LA wedding to have the best Los Angeles Wedding DJ because a wedding DJ has experience creating the type of atmosphere for such an intimate experience.

A wedding DJ knows how to create a mix that can cater to various tastes while making the moment exceptional.

They also know how to create stirring introductions and announcements that don't come off tacky.

On the contrary, a corporate event DJ has to give cold, unfeeling announcements and create mixes that don't have soul or meaning to cater to a broader audience.

So, it doesn't matter if they tick all the other boxes; if the DJ you want to hire has limited experience MCing an event like yours, don't bother.

Hiring Black and White Affair as Your Los Angeles DJ

Get a superior Spanish music mix that will reflect your taste and entertain your guests. Having DJed in the Bay area for years, I have a track record of catering to my client's needs and creating unforgettable mixes that set the mood for the occasion.

Now, you can hire us for your Los Angeles event and get that same performance quality.

When you think of Silicon Valley Big tech powerhouse Applied Materials would be in that conversation. They know how to take care of their employees. They seemed so happy to spend lunch together. They had different campuses come to the Sunnyvale location. They did show love to the new employees by giving them an opportunity to talk about themselves and have a shot of a gift card. It was actually a shot to win. They had the option to shoot a basket or go for a soccer goal. But before that even happen they had Boba for everyone and all kinds of catered lunches.

 The host was joyous and kept the event flowing with his dad jokes and his energy. They had several teams compete for the best time. They had five per group and they had to do some activities and they kept track of their time. They had to walk together in unison and knock off an item off a poie. The teams were divided by department so it built more team chemistry. After the obstacle course they went to the basketball court. The team had to do a layup. Free-throw and a three pointer. Once they made the three pointer then they beeped a horn and the time was recorded.

It was a very festive event that I coordinated with the energy with 70s, 80s and 90s music. I put in some K-Pop in there but also threw in some fun Bollywood. It was a very fun time during lunch and a very good way to put some fun in the workplace.