Tag Archives: Multicultural Weddings

Two Worlds Connect Through Wedding DJ Music

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I always get excited when hired to DJ and MC a wedding from a Bride and Groom of different cultures, which seems to be my specialty these days. The challenge and opportunity to blend styles of Wedding DJ music and genres during such an important celebration is fun and inspiring. In advance, I am often a bit concerned that it will not work. What if the family from The Groom’s culture will not appreciate the music from The Bride’s culture? Or the reverse?  What if it is too much of a stretch for them to connect? Is it realistic for everybody to just be placed in the same room and find a way to have fun and enjoy the magic of the wedding?

 

The answer is NO! It is not a stretch or a problem for an experienced Wedding DJ.

It is not something to fear or be concerned about. A good professional Wedding DJ with experience blending and balancing music will not have a problem making your wedding a fantastic success! Make sure you sit down with your professional Wedding DJ and take time planning your musical selections and playlists together. Listen to their experience and be clear what it is you want; it is your wedding. Listening to Brides and Event Planners, as well as that of your guests are some of the most critical skills of an outstanding Wedding DJ.

It is 2011 and we do not have to settle for Prima Donna DJs that are not interested in listening or respecting the needs of Brides, Grooms or Event Planners. Today’s professional Wedding DJs need to be able and interested in quality communication and direction, while being able to follow their own intuitive talents in meeting the needs of diverse groups and populations. This is not 1980 anymore where the Wedding DJ was in charge and everybody had to put-up with whatever they did because we didn’t know any better or were not able to find anoutstanding Wedding DJ.

Today there are many outstanding Wedding DJs. Take your time in hiring the right one for your unique wedding or event. The professional Wedding DJ is not the place to compromise. Know what you want and do not be afraid to ask for it and expect it be honored. It is your wedding or event.

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Good DJs Love Diversity

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On Friday night I had another professional DJ gig at Buskers in Hoboken. I like being there since the crowd is fun and friendly. As a professional DJ, the part that I like best is the diversity of requests and the opportunity to play music from all over the musical spectrum, like all good DJs.

 

When does a professional DJ get to play Hall & Oats, The White Stripes, The Cure, Madonna, Britney Spears, Chumawumba, Kanye West, Cee Lo Green, Black Eyed Peas, Frank Sinatra and of course Rihanna?

 

I appreciate diversity of music, people, foods and lifestyles. This is one of the benefits of being  New York and New Jersey professional DJ. We get to play all kinds of music if we are willing to step outside of the norm and be open to life and all the great talented artists we have!  I think New York and New Jersey professional DJs are fortunate to have such diverse people at most gigs. I can not imagine what it would be like to only listen to or play one style of music all the time. Glad I do not have to find out:)

 

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DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

A Professional DJ Learning & Expanding Musical Styles

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It is fun sometimes to take the time to learn music from different styles and genres that are not part of our normal DJ Music library. It opens new doors into what people enjoy and along the way we find new stuff that gets us pumped up about music and being a professional DJ. I have been experimenting with Trip Hop, Ambient and Acid Jazz lately. I did not grow-up with these styles of music an they are not as incorporated into many of the professional Wedding & Events DJ so I needed to dig on my own to learn about them and be able to expand my repertoire to include music from these groups and artists as well.  For any professional DJ who is feeling stale about the music they are listening to these days, I encourage you to step outside your world and explore a new genre of music, one that is far from what you typically listen. You might be surprised by what you find!

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Music, Dance and Culture As A Professional DJ

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It does not happen often, but every now and then I have to really dig into my experience as a professional DJ to figure out how to make things work at an event.  Most recently, it was due to some cultural differences that I did not take into account and fortunately was helped by some of the guests to understand and find an effective solution.

Even though I have lived and traveled through a large section of Eastern and Central Asia, I still view how an event is supposed to go in the USA from an American perspective. This is not necessarily a bad thing but can be a blind-spot when not taking into account cultural differences. If I was in South Korea or Uzbekistan, I would not think twice about ASSUMING the way we do it here is the way it is done there. But being here in the USA, my vision is not as wide and expansive at times since it is my home.  I ASSUMED that the order of events that are typical for an American social event were the same everywhere, big mistake. I know better. I ASSUMED that there is some time before dinner for people to mingle and settle, dinner, cake/coffee/tea and then everybody is ready to let go and dance till they are cleaning the tables and folding chairs. This is not the case everywhere.

The event I was providing professional DJ services for was a high school graduation party for an American Punjabi family. The event was at an Indian Restaurant and they followed Indian traditional order of social events.  The dancing for events is between the appetizers and the main meal, not after the main meal. I did not know this, I do now!

Again, if not for the willing guests who showed me the way, I am afraid the party would not have been the success it was. I am grateful they took the time to explain to me how this works and what to do. They even shared with me what music to play when!

The lesson learned for me is an old lesson relived: Don’t make ASSUMPTIONS, especially with cultural differences.

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DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ 

Professional DJs Moving Music Beyond Borders

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There was a young man named Chris recording some of his most recent piano compositions in our studio this morning. I was and still am blown away by his force and grace at the keyboard. He reminded me in some ways of George Winston in his ability to transition from and to forceful, very intense and soft, gentle caresses of the keys seamlessly. An exceptional Professional DJ can create bridges between cultures through music. This is what a Multicultural DJ does.

One of the great things that music can offer us is a means to break and go beyond borders and limitations that are created individually or socially.  I think about when I was a kid. My family was not the most culturally aware or respectful but when it came to music, there were no barriers or prejudices. At night my parents could be listening to Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole, Beethoven, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Fiddler on the Roof, Rossini’s William Tell Overture (which I thought was The Lone Ranger theme), Santana and Hugh Masekela.

For me, it was The Beatles, Motown, Carole King, Cat Stevens, Beach Boys, Santana, Steppenwolf, Simon and Garfunkel, Elton John, Sly and The Family Stone, Bill Withers, Jimi Hendrix and The Byrds. I am sure there were others but those were the ones that owned my turntable during my early childhood. Of course, that all changed when I reached my teens.

Today music from Brooklyn, Jersey, LA, Texas, Mali, Mexico, Cuba, Turkey, Spain, Korea, Japan, Tibet, Indonesia, India, Philly, Detroit, UK, Italia, The Middle East, Africa in general, Jamaica, Hawaii, Ireland are all regular guests in my bedroom these days with other ‘friends’ visiting from time to time.

Music can do this. It is amazing to me how easy and painlessly music can expand our vision of what is possible between people, cultures and sound.  Turn on your radio and briefly flip through several different stations that you do not regularly listen to and enjoy the diversity and creativity that you will experience. Music can do that and more.

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DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ