Dinner Music Archives - Fun Rhode Island Wedding DJFun Rhode Island Wedding DJ

As DJ Buddha Bar and Global Lounge Music rise in popularity and acceptance, it made sense for me to as a professional DJ create a DJ Buddha Bar and Global Lounge Mix for you to listen and enjoy. I have enjoyed a significant segment of this mixed genre for many years and appreciate every opportunity to share the music with new listeners as a fan and professional DJ.

DJ Buddha Bar and Global Lounge Mix

Buddha Bar & Global Lounge Mix - DJ Mystical Michael

I have been hired for a few Weddings that the Bride and Groom have requested Buddha Bar and Global Lounge Music for their Cocktail Hour music and worked very well. More often I am requested to play these genre as a professional DJ in situations where the event planner wants to create a diverse, intimate and creative atmosphere and mood for mixed crowds when neither dancing or sitting are preferred but still want it to be fun and alive.

Claude Challe (born Claude Chalom in 1945 in Tunisia) is a French DJ and club owner, the creator of the Buddha Bar restaurant/clubs and music compilations.

Challe moved to France at age three. He attended Rabbinical school as a young man. At the age of 19, he opened a hair salon in Paris, and became known as “the man with the golden scissors”.

Challe then abandoned the salon and lived as an expatriate on the island of Sardinia, in a hippie commune. He subsequently traveled to India, Nepal and Indonesia. He uses Buddha statues for the interior design of his bar and restaurant.

Challe returned to France and was introduced to New Age music by the likes of Andreas Vollenweider and Ennio Morricone. He became involved in Parisian nightlife. He managed a series of French clubs, including Le Prive (1974), Le Centre Ville in Les Halles (1979), Les Bains-Douches (1984), El Divino in Ibiza (1992), and Buddha Bar (1996). The restaurant/club became a popular destination and led to Challe’s Buddha Bar mix compilations.

Challe produced the “Reveillon de Mondes”, attended by 50,000 people, and held at Vincennes, in conjunction with Radio Nova.

Challe produces his music and others’ on his Chall’o Music label. He has said, “I consider the art of DJ-ing to be the passion of [my] life. When I’m DJ-ing, I give myself to the people. When I play, I’m in the music.”

The “Buddha Bar” music series is a compilation of lounge and chill out music with touch of world music released by George V records.

The Buddha Bar series was Created by the DJ Claude Challe who compiled and produced the first two albums. The series continues with different DJs including DJ Ravin, Sam Popat, David Visan. Later, The first original Buddha Bar came out “Buddha Bar Nature” composed and produced by Arno Elias (also composer of Amor Amor, Buddha Bar 2) included also a DVD of Nature footage directed by Allain Bourgoin Dubourg.

Enjoy DJ Buddha Bar and Global Lounge Mix and let me know what you think.

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

When playing music for a group as a professional DJ, dinner music can be either one of the easiest or most challenging aspects of a gig. How can dinner music be challenging you ask? Good question.

There are the ‘guest wars’ over volume and musical styles. Uncle Joe wants “Some nice old Italian music, you know, Jerry Vale and Frank Sinatra” and the Groom is concerned that “My Polish family will go crazy without any Polkas at a wedding” then the Bride, who booked the event to begin with wants “Slow, Soulful music” and the original playlist you discussed called for Western Classical music during dinner with some Smooth Jazz. You can see how this can be confusing. So what does a professional Wedding DJ do to satisfy all these contrasting tastes and requests?

Play them all! Since the dinner potion of an event, especially a wedding, will last about an hour; this is when you can spread your wings and let them all get some airtime. Maybe start with some Smooth Jazz and segue into some Slow, Soulful music. When that has run its course, a Polish Polka or two will make the Groom and his family happy knowing that a couple more Smooth Jazz tunes will be needed to transition to the Italian favorites Uncle Joe demanded. As dinner hits the main course, relaxing Classical Music is always a positive choice being mindful that many of these pieces will have slow gentle beginnings but full-bodied upbeat middles that may not be suitable for dinner music. It is important to always pre-cue your selections and take a quick listen to make certain it is good dinner music for this event.

Dinner music is a time for letting people enjoy food, conversation, connecting, maybe even introductions and getting in the mood for whatever will follow. The middle of dinner should be the mellowest of music with the coffee and desert portion moving a little bit more upbeat to segue into the danceable music to follow. Be warned though, if your music is too good, you may have people leaving their full plates and heading to the dance floor. I have experienced this several times as a professional Wedding DJ and am sure if it is a sign of doing a good job or taking from the event itself. You be the judge.

I encourage all new professional DJs to not fall into the habit that many professional DJs do of running dinner solely on Auto-Mix and not paying any attention to what is going on. Remember, dinner sets the mood for the event and you want to be sure everybody is being prepared for a great night! Watch and feel what is working with the guests even though they are not dancing. Feel the vibe and energy and choose your selections accordingly. We are the entertainment and entertainers do not go on auto-pilot. Bring the same energy and focus to dinner as you do to the rest of the gig and it will provide the foundation for a successful event for everybody!