Puerto Rican playlist.

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I have a groom this week who is half Puerto Rican. I have a moderate grasp of Latina but if anyone has a good dance playlist they could share, I would appreciate it.
Why not just ask them for what songs they and their families enjoy? It’s what I do... also makes the event more personalized rather than guessing what they’d enjoy.
 
What he. said. There's so many different cultures and backgrounds that dictate what music they listen to. I always ask those of difference cultures to give me suggestions. One Mexican family may listen to another style of Mexican music than another. I think its safe to assume the same goes for Puerto Ricans.
 
Why not just ask them for what songs they and their families enjoy? It’s what I do... also makes the event more personalized rather than guessing what they’d enjoy.

I've already done that. Was just hoping for some extra ammo from my DJ friends.
 
I've already done that. Was just hoping for some extra ammo from my DJ friends.
As blueline mentioned its hard to say... you can't just go throwing out latin songs and assume they'll work without knowing what that specific crowd appreciates. You can say salsa, but you could be working with a crowd that thinks Marc Anthony is corny and played out, whereas another crowd loves him... some may prefer traditional sounds and some prefer more of reggaeton and latin pop... which is a whole different category and all depends on how up to date they are with their music.

Typically when I work with cultural events, I try to get enough music from the client that I shouldn't need any more than that.
 
I'm still in NY working off of my sons laptop - all my good stuff is at home in Florida. However, this is a good Salsa -
Frankie Ruiz - Puerto Rico

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LS5A7pkyIo


This is a slow song. Most version's BPM will be more like a Bolero, so slow the tempo a little more with your software -
Javier Solis - En Mi Viejo San Juan

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-d-LfhN1hk

Almost anything by El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico. Ojos Chinos, El Aguacero, Sin Salsa No Hay Paraiso, etc.
 
I'm still in NY working off of my sons laptop - all my good stuff is at home in Florida. However, this is a good Salsa -
Frankie Ruiz - Puerto Rico

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LS5A7pkyIo


This is a slow song. Most version's BPM will be more like a Bolero, so slow the tempo a little more with your software -
Javier Solis - En Mi Viejo San Juan

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-d-LfhN1hk

Almost anything by El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico. Ojos Chinos, El Aguacero, Sin Salsa No Hay Paraiso, etc.
And this is why I say you have to ask your clients. I’ve done a very good amount of Puerto Rican and Latin influenced weddings and quinceneras and have never had any of those songs or artists requested (with exception of el gran combo).
 
And this is why I say you have to ask your clients. I’ve done a very good amount of Puerto Rican and Latin influenced weddings and quinceneras and have never had any of those songs or artists requested (with exception of el gran combo).
I understand - but ever since the hurricane hit the island, there has been a strong "Nationalistic" feeling, and I've had LOTS of requests for those two songs from adults - they are certainly not meant for a quinceañera .

These are just suggestions, and Rick has said he already asked the family. He's the DJ and it's still his responsibility to read the floor.
 
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I understand - but ever since the hurricane hit the island, there has been a strong "Nationalistic" feeling, and I've had LOTS of requests for those two songs from adults - they are certainly not meant for a quinceañera .

These are just suggestions, and Rick has said he already asked the family. He's the DJ and it's still his responsibility to read the floor.
agreed... there’s definitely nothing wrong with the suggestions... but it just shows how different even a Puerto Rican from Florida is compared to one from Nj/nyc and their preferences. I’ve actually only done one quinceanera recently, it’s mostly Latin influenced weddings I do.

It’s not just the Latin culture though... I’m Greek and do Greek events all over the country. Coincidentally I have a wedding next month in boca raton, FL and the way they handle certain traditions is very different compared to the more off the boat Greeks up north, and what they consider to be newer music, we consider to be older. I still have to ask the right questions to know exactly what they expect.
 
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Guys, I've asked the family. No idea if the groom will respond or not. I do have a general list of latina music, which I've used at other events. It's a pot-shot whether or not anything I have will go over or not. I'm just trying to do diligence, possibly in the absence of any input from the groom. At this point, all suggestions are appreciated and I'll preview each of them and make notes and try to guess whether it will help or not. Thanks again for all assistance.
 
Guys, I've asked the family. No idea if the groom will respond or not. I do have a general list of latina music, which I've used at other events. It's a pot-shot whether or not anything I have will go over or not. I'm just trying to do diligence, possibly in the absence of any input from the groom. At this point, all suggestions are appreciated and I'll preview each of them and make notes and try to guess whether it will help or not. Thanks again for all assistance.
It seems you have these instances in where you're waiting on info or follow ups... and I used to have those situations all the time. In the last year and a half I started doing something different that has had 100% effectiveness. During the meeting, anything that I don't get an answer for, or needs confirmation, or follow up, or need lists of music, I mark in my notes with an asterisk. After all of my finalizations with the couple, I send an email with "follow up" questions that I tell them still need responses for based on those asterisks. For example, if there is a parent dance still missing, or a confirmation still needed on a timeline change, I list it. In the past I'd have conversations with couples, but by the end of it couples forget what they need to get you, or misunderstood what you were asking in the moment... an email correspondence in writing helps keep things organized. I also have deadlines depending on what info is missing (around 10-14 days before the event depending on the amount of info missing), and once the deadline reaches I follow up saying I really need the info ASAP, to which I get it within 24hrs. There's never a situation that I don't get everything I need and relatively on time. I then do a follow up call 2-3 days before the event to run through things one last time, and to confirm I received their info and understood it properly.
 
I've already done that. Was just hoping for some extra ammo from my DJ friends.
I suspect Rick can't see this (I'm on his "he hurt my feewings" list) but for others, any extra ammo we might provide would be generic, at best. Like any culture, there are variant traditions, expectations and preferences that are as varied as the individuals within.

This type of inquiry seems to have a more common re-hashing regarding Spanish/Latin/Hispanic...music. (see almost identical discussion and a brilliant response here: https://ourdjtalk.com/djchat/is-cuban-the-same-as-latina.48575/post-638564...lol)

It is best to be appreciate that, just like the extensive inventory of songs that might qualify as "American music", there is no "Puerto Rican" playlist that is a fit for every client with Puerto Rican heritage. Each client deserves an understanding of his preferences and not some faceless Spotify or forum playlist "expert".

If however, you are understandably unfamiliar with a cultural genre and you intend to pretend that you are not, do some homework, and I don't mean just cast a net in an ignornet forum, but actually learn a little something about another culture. When I have employed that method, I've found it rewarding, interesting and beneficial to the client and myself.

If you still need a simple, read lazy, method, wiki dat shit, yo: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Puerto_Rico)!

And if you are too lazy to get excited about learn'n sum new ish, here is the current P.R. Top 40.

Know your clients and your clients' expectations/preferences!
 
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you could be working with a crowd that thinks Marc Anthony is corny and played out, whereas another crowd loves him...

There's an idea. Send them a list of popular Latin artists...
and ask them to mark which ones they like.
If they don't include song titles when they check off an artist...
it should be pretty easy to Google the popular songs they had (have).
 
Seems like some of you have had a bad "Latin" experience - it has been just the opposite for me. You've all heard my story before - the Zumba exercise led to Salsa dancing, which led to me joining a local Hispanic Club to go to their dances. They knew I was a DJ, and in desperation, after another unprepared so called "Latin DJ" showed up at the last minute with one broken speaker, they asked me to do their next dance - even though I'm a Gringo. The rest is history.

I love the people - a mix of mostly Puerto Rican and Cuban (I'm in SE Florida) in the 50 to 80 year old range. They are dancing fools - the only thing missing from the DJ booth is oxygen and a defibrillator - but they keep running like a Timex watch. It makes my job easy, which is good, because I really do this for fun.

I love the music - they like the older Salsa "Dura" and Timba they grew up with - and while you may not understand the words, the music itself is just great. Young Latinos, like all young people these days, are IMHO into bad music, in their case Reggaeton. I will play Bachata, Freestyle, Cumbia (some Omega), etc., but because they are an older crowd, I get zero requests for tated gang banger crap.

IMHO, knowing how to dance Salsa and Merengue is a big help because you can just "feel" what is going to work well on the dance floor. Much of my library has been enlarged by keeping my car radio on Latin stations and my smartphone jammed against the speaker - I consider SoundHound and Shazam two of humanities greatest inventions!! Lastly, when in doubt, I'll have my wife, who is 100% fluent in Spanish, scan for anything offensive or inappropriate.

What I have never done, and probably would never do, is a Latin wedding. I'm now probably too old (72) for weddings in general, and my Spanish is too poor for the MC'ing necessary.
 
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Seems like some of you have had a bad "Latin" experience - it has been just the opposite for me. necessary.

The latina things I've done have always been positive. I did a site survey with the bride's father earlier this week and he told me the groom said his side would be into dancing and that I needed to have a hotspot to download. I asked him for a list but don't expect it at this point. My best bet is to do some googling and listening to tracks and try to put together a good, dance-able list of tracks, with the expectation that they'll likely have a flurry of requests. Pretty much all of the latina events that I've done they weren't overly picky about tracks. They just appreciated me making an attempt. I'm just trying to do some extra diligence and expect this one to turn out well also.
 
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don't go on line with my perfomance laptops! I 've heard storys of wifi failures
from venues
 
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