It was midnight. As requested I played “Save the Last Dance For Me” by Michael Bubble and said congratulations to Natalia and Dhawal. This was the end of an amazing evening of high energy dance music. She is of Spanish descent. He is of East Indian descent. Their guests were a perfect mix of cultures who love to dance; and dance they did! See video Below. Frankly I did try to insert some Ballads and Boleros but every time I got a “slow song” cued up someone ran up to me and requested another hard hitting, yes aggressive, dance song.
Basically I beat mixed Spanish and East Indian dance music with a little Old School Hip Hop thrown in. They danced nonstop for two and a half hours till 12:00 AM.
At 11:20 one of the catering managers (who had hoped that the party would die at 10:30 PM so he could go home) told me to stop music at 11:30. I said that I was contracted till 12:00 AM. He became insistent. The wedding coordinator had already left so I invited him to speak with the groom who no one was getting to talk to because he and the bride were having such a good time on the dance floor.
This crowd could have easily gone till 3:00 AM! Knowing that their guests were dancers Dhawal and Natalia opted for Dance Floor Surround Sound.
Here is what I played:
12:05 AM Dholi Taaro – from the Film: “Hum Di De Chuke Sanam”
11:57 PM Save the Last Dance for Me – Michael Bubble
11:56 PM Ai Se Eu Te Pego – Michel Telo Feat Pitbull
11:53 PM Fuego a la Jicotea – Marvin Santiago – Salsa
11:46 PM Anarkali Disco Chali – Sharma & Singh
11:42 PM Rum & Whisky – Akshay Verma, Vicky Donor
11:39 PM Bailamos Cha Cha Cha
11:35 PM Guarjira ! – Johnny Ventura – Salsa
11:30 PM Subha Hone Na De – Singh, Alvaris – Desi Boyz
11:26 PM Oye Lucky Lucky Oye – Mika Singh
11:23 PM Danza Kuduro – Don Omar
11:19 PM Jalebi Bai – Ritu Pathak
11:16 PM Chammak Challo – Akon & Hamsika Iyer
11:11 PM Chikni Chameli – Shreya Ghoshal, Agneepath
11:07 PM Dutty Love Don Omar Ft Natti Natasha
10:57 PM Pretty Woman – Hindi
10:57 PM la tortura – shakira & alejandro sanz
10:54 PM Hips Don’t Lie (featuring Wyclef Jean) – Shakira
10:51 PM Rabiosa (feat. Pitbull) – Shakira
10:47 PM Suavamente – Elvis Crespo
10:43 PM Senorita (Remix) – Roshan, Akhtar, Deol,
10:39 PM Give Me Everything – Pitbull, Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer
10:35 PM DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love (feat. Pitbull) – Usher
10:31 PM Flash Light (Album Edit) – Parliament
10:27 PM Mauja Hi Mauja – Remix – Bunty Rajput
10:21 PM Mickey – Toni Basil
10:16 PM Laung Da Lashkara – Iyer, Kaur & Jassi
10:12 PM Que Tengo Que Hacer – Daddy Yankee
10:07 PM Rapper’s Delight – The Sugarhill Gang
10:03 PM Cupid Shuffle – Cupid
9:59 PM La Negre Tiene Tumbao – Celia Cruz
9:55 PM Dard-E-Disco – Om Shanti Om
9:51 PM La vida es un carnival – Celia Cruz
9:47 PM Jalebi Bai – Ritu Pathak
9:43 PM Yeah – Usher
9:41 PM Dime – Ivy Queen
9:39 PM Love You Like a Love Song – Selena Gomez
9:33 PM Paper Planes (DFA Remix) – Slumdog Millionaire
9:30 PM Billionaire [Feat. Bruno Mars]
9:27 PM Browneyed Girl – Van Morrison
9:25 PM Too Marvelous For Words – Frank Sinatra
9:21 PM Right On The Money – Alan Jackson
9:19 PM Money (Thats What I Want) – Barrett Strong
I was not prepared for what happened next. At 12:00 about 5 guests ran up and excitedly implored me to play one more song. To comply with the catering manager I had already turned off my mixer and began pulling wires. As much as I would have liked to say “yes let’s keep going” I said that I had to end by order of the catering manager.
The room lights went up, catering staff were already clearing tables and it looked like it was “a wrap.”
Well, they found the catering manager and got him to agree to one more song. Now earlier this guy was really grumpy and I didn’t think anyone could change his mind. But really it was the enthusiasm of the crowd that won him over!
I had an internet connection and one of the guests found “Dholi Taaro” – from the Film: “Hum Di De Chuke Sanam” on YouTube. To say the effect on the audience was sheer joy would be an understatement. This is a 6 minute song and I thought for sure that that catering manager would blow a gasket and thrown us all out but at the end of the song he had a big smile on his face; and I thanked him.
In the planning process Dhawal and Natalia chose to have Solo Harpist Elaine Litster to perform music for their wedding ceremony at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Long Beach. I played Solo Piano for their cocktail hour and it was my pleasure to conduct the festivities of their wedding reception as their DJ and Master of Ceremonies.
Congratulations to Dhawal and Natalia and their families!
Sincerely, Eric Zimmermann DJ/Master of Ceremonies, Pianist and Band Leader. 626-797-1795. Elegant Music 3190 Crestford Drive, Altadena, CA. 91001