Recently we played at an elementary school in Saratoga. We were called less than a week before to be part of this Family fun event. I typically do high school events so the vibe has to be different. It was a family event so I had to gather songs for the little kids and have some for the parents. Also I was asked to be interactive. I had some ideas and I let the coordinator know to see if they good accommodate. 

  One idea I had was to have some line dances. So I thought of the Macarena and the YMCA. I had to think of what little kids like to do. I went with musical chairs. What was amusing was we were supposed to do one round but we went 4 rounds. Kids kept on coming to play. We had some hula hoops and we had contest on who can do it the longest. We again went a few rounds since kids wanted to be a part of this. We incorporated little prizes that the students liked. It was an extra bonus with winning. You should have seen the excitement when we got closer to the end of the game.

There were a few songs of the night that were big hits. People were familiar about We Don’t Talk About Bruno. It is based on a cartoon. But the song that got everyone to the front was Baby Shark. We saw toddlers and their parents waddle to the front with their shark moves. One song that was requested multiple times was Barbie Girl by Aqua. 

Djs can provide the ceremony sound for weddings if needed. They can provide the service of setting up the speakers and having the microphones to work correctly. They can also be behind the mixing board to adjust volumes and in case of feedback or if someone needs a boast or reduced in volume based on their voice is soft or too loud. The dj can also cue up the music for the pre-ceremony music and entrance music for everyone to come in. 

Or the couple can do it DIY. Some djs only bring one speaker but I always bring two for the ceremony. It has a good balanced sound to it. A smart phone or tablet can be connected to the speaker via Bluetooth or a cable. You would still need someone to man the music to push play at the appropriate times. If it’s a small gathering then you would not need microphones or if it’s a chapel that has their own microphones then you set. But if you want to diy microphones, its crucial to have someone overseeing the volumes. 

So, which is better between getting a dj to do your sound versus diy? A diy rental would run about 150 to 300 dollars and you would have to pick it up and set it up or you would have it set up for you. The question is who ever is working it are they going to know how to use the gear correctly. A dj will be using their own equipment so they know how to use it. The cost for a dj to do the ceremony can range 300 to 500 dollars. 

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.

First and foremost, you need a dj who is familiar with the classic Spanish jams and with the new music that is coming out. I tend to lean toward the classics but if given a heads up then I can add the new Spanish music that to the mix. I usually get a list from the client and add that to my proven hits to add to the playlist. I want to play as much as their list I can plus adding ones I know will bring excitement to the dance floor. 

Usually for this Spanish Birthday events there is food involved. We tend to play some classic Spanish songs but save the dance Spanish songs for later for the dance floor. Some of these dinner songs can be some bachata or ranchera songs or maybe some Luis Miguel Love songs. Again, it all depends on what part of Latin America the guests are coming from. The Dinner portion of the night usually last for an hour. There may be a cocktail or appetizer portion of the night when the party starts before dinner kicks in. During cocktail/ appetizer hour the music can be more festive to get folks in the party mood. It would be ok to play dance music since folks are not sitting down having dinner. When it does become dinner time, it would be ideal to tame it a bit so folks aren’t moving too much in their seats when they are eating. 

Please contact Black and White Affair Dj Services for your Spanish Latin Events. We specialize in playing Cumbia, Banda, Salsa, Reggaeton, and Ranchera music.  Please call Black and White Affair Dj for your latin party.

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.