Archive for the ‘House music’ Category

A Perfect Houston Wedding includes a Houston DJ

If you’re planning a Houston wedding, you’ll confront the million-and-one decisions that all brides face. Who should you ask to be in your bridal party? Where will you find the perfect wedding dress? What do you need to pack for your honeymoon? In the process, it’s important to remember that the enjoyment of your guests is also your responsibility. To ensure that they have a wonderful time at your reception, you should select a professional wedding DJ in Houston who can take some of that responsibility off your shoulders. These simple guidelines will help you find the Houston disc jockey that is a perfect fit for your wedding.

Find the Right Houston Wedding DJ

Initially, the thought of having to find the right wedding DJ in Houston can be overwhelming. Take some time to cruise the Internet and locate DJs in Houston who specialize in weddings. Make a list and run the names by your caterer, photographer, and the manager of your reception venue. They should be familiar with Houston DJs and can help you narrow down your list.

Is it the Right Music for You?

Once you have narrowed the field, it’s time to start making calls. If you have a particular type of music you’d like played at your reception, check to see if he has that music available. Keep in mind, though, that your reception is likely to include guests ranging in age and musical preferences. A professional Houston DJ will have an eclectic mix of music that will get everyone to his or her feet. By all means, ensure that the songs you want are on his play list, but also realize that part of his job is to set the cadence for your reception. By starting your reception off with light music, your DJ will help to put everyone at ease. Through music, he’ll help to move the event along, from your first dance with your new husband, to the cutting of the wedding cake, the tossing of your bouquet, and the departure of you and the groom.

A Houston Wedding DJ Provides More than Music

When choosing from among DJs in Houston, remember that you not only want him to provide terrific musical entertainment, but also to act as an emcee. For that reason, you need to check out the DJ’s attitude, personality, promptness, and ability to please the wedding guests. The best way to ensure your wedding reception will be handled in a professional manner is to stop by another wedding reception and watch him in action. By seeing him perform, you will get to know his personality, the quality of his performance, and reaction he receives from the guests.

Important Things to Consider when Hiring a Wedding DJ

Before you sign a contract with a Houston wedding DJ, make sure that he has (or will get) the songs you would like played at your reception. Make sure that he accepts requests, as your guests will enjoy being able to dance to their favorite tunes.

Even if you don’t know much about sound equipment ask about it. A professional DJ in Houston should have top quality equipment and high-end professional lighting, both of which will make your reception more enjoyable for your guests.

If you don’t have the opportunity to watch him perform, be sure to ask the DJ what he will be wearing at your reception. Most Houston DJs wear tuxedos to weddings, but there are some who don’t. By discussing this with the DJ in advance, you’ll eliminate any problems or embarrassing moments on your big day.

Having the right Houston DJ will not only guarantee that your special day is well-organized, but will add to wonderful, lifelong memories.

Dj Equipment-What You Need to Know

If you are planning to become a be a DJ, a disk jockey, one the most difficult things you will come across is to buy your own equipment. It will be difficult not because of anything else, but because DJ equipment is expensive. In order to buy all the equipment you need you will have to spend thousands of dollars. To have what you need to be a DJ you wont have to buy only on piece of equipment but many. A DJ can mix and match components of different qualities and price ranges to make the entire outfit suit a budget. One of the most expensive pieces of equipment that you will need to buy is a mixer. Sound mixers vary from make to make and from model to model and their price depends on their features and their quality. You can buy a DJ mixer for a couple hundered dollars to a few thousand dollars. If you are new to the disk jockey business, it is advised that you only spend only a few hundred dollars. The cheaper mixers can work just as well as the more expensive ones and if you are new to DJing then you should not spend too much money because you dont know how business will be. The good news is that manufacturers of quality mixers and audio equipment in general, like Numark, Gemini, Aiwa, Akai produce good quality economic DJ mixers.
After the mixer you will need a turntable as well. There are different kinds of turntables available. If you are in to vinyl then you should get a traditional DJ turntable, or if you are into CDs and MP3s there is a wide selection of turntables for the new technologies that resemble the traditional ones. In general, turntables are more expensive than plain players, but there are good ones available for under $400. You can even choose to buy a direct drive turntable, but you will have to spend more money for one of these. Most DJs however prefer them as they play records faster and dont lag. Players are much cheaper than turntables but have less features. DJs who like to scratch and spin records prefer the turntables because players only provide sound output like any other CD or DVD player. A new DJ should not overspend on equipment. And one item you can save money for is the speakers. Speakers are used for live events and as a DJ if you want to minimize your costs and not have to rent any equipment in the future. In general the price of any speaker depends on the price of its output. There are small woofer speakers that a DH can buy for less than $100. if you are new to the field you might consider buying a DJ pack, a DJ in a box package and save money. These packages contain everything you will need. Using cheap DJ equipment is only recommended for new DJs. If you start getting gigs and start making money then you should consider buying more advanced equipment.

Exploring Reggaeton Music and Dances

Reggaeton is a type of urban music that has become widespread in popularity among young music lovers in Latin America, North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Reggaeton music originated in Panama and caters to Hispanic youth, with rapping and singing often in Spanish. The music is a blend of Jamaican style music such as dancehall and reggae and Latin America style music such as salsa, bomba, plena, merengue, bachata, hip hop, bolero, R&B, and Latin pop.

Reggaeton music boasts its own specific rhythm and beat. The rhythm of reggaeton is often referred to as “Dem Bow.” The name Dem Bow references the title of a dancehall song from the 1990s by Shabba Ranks. Though the music genre of reggaeton is mostly associated with Puerto Rico (where this style of music was popularized and became famous), the lyrics are more hip hop type lyrics than dancehall.

The Beat of Reggaeton

It’s the reggaeton beat, or Dem Bow, that drives the music and dances. The beat is described as a drum-machine track that originated with Jamaican dancehall rhythm. Reggaeton combines a syncopated snare and steady kick drum to create an unusual rhythm. There’s a 4/4 beat emphasized by the kick drum, and the snare starts with the “and” of the 3rd 8th note and right on the 4th 8th note. There are about 95 beats per minute, and the result is a magnified “boom-ch-boom-chick” sounding beat.

Reggaeton beat sounds are usually synthesized electronically. There are also simple melodies created with electronic instruments, keyboards, and electric guitars. The beats are versatile, and can be based on bolero, hip-hop, salsa, merengue, bachata, or other similar beats.

The Reggaeton Dance

Sensual (and controversial) dancing can often be seen in reggaeton clubs or on music videos. The perreo type dance is a form of grinding dance derived from Puerto Rico. The dance puts women in control of the dance and is very provocative in its nature. Perreo moves are popular in dancehall, rhythm and blues, and hip-hop music as well. A slightly calmer form of reggaeton dancing is cumbia, which was originally a folk dance and music from Colombia. Like perreo, the cumbia dance is flirtatious in nature with the women luring the men toward them and then pushing them away.

Some of the leading artists in reggaeton include CandyMan, Esko, Fito Blanko, Nicky Jam, La Fabrica, Don Miguelo, Daddy Yankee, De la Ghetto, DJ Blass, Baby Rasta & Gringo, Don Chezina, Lito & Polaco, Eddie Dee, Adassa, El Chombo, and Tony Touch. Some popular producers of reggaeton music are Eliel, Luny Tunes, and Noriega.

With the widespread popularity of reggaeton music, there are now many radio stations specializing in this type of music. There are also online radio venues where fans can download music, listen online, or watch the reggaeton music video of choice. The major benefit of online radio is fans can listen to their favorite music or watch their favorite videos around the clock.