This past Saturday, along with the gorgeous Spring sunshine was a totally fun 50th Birthday Party in Scotch Plains, New Jersey. The woman whose birthday we were celebrating, was so thrilled to have all her friends and family gathered together to play, eat, drink and dance in their backyard. Their backyard is beautiful and just added to the great atmosphere that the sun and people created.
I have been DJ for more and more milestone birthday parties lately, especially 50th birthday parties. I have a 40th birthday party and a 75th birthday party coming in June. I really enjoy being the DJ for these parties. They feel so joyful and fun, and everybody has a great time. The birthday party was catered by Encore Catering in East Hanover, New Jersey. They did an excellent job!
50th Birthday Party with Great Music
This particular 50th birthday party offered a diverse selection of music from many genres and generations. Some of the artists that we chosen were Beyonce, Sly and The family Stone, The Beatles, Neil Diamond (she is a Red Sox fan), Bruno Mars, Joe Jackson, Billy Joel, Prince, Maroon 5 and Michael Jackson, just to name a few.
One of the aspects of the event that was most pleasing for me was that a couple whose surprise 50th birthday party I was DJ for two years ago were there as well. In fact, another of their friend’s was the one who recommended me to the husband who organized the party. The husband asked his friend if he knew of a great DJ for the party and the friend had been at the other 50th birthday part and had so much fun, he gave him my name to contact. Fortunately, I had the date open and we were able to book it easily. It was fun seeing all these people again! I will see them all again in June at a High School Graduation Party the recommender wants me to DJ.
All in all, a great day for a family that has reason to celebrate. The husband had a stroke three years ago and he has come a long way since then. There were a few tears shed to celebrate his and their lives during a speech. I was very grateful to be there and participate in this occasion with them.
Tom Jones Hit or Miss is being rereleased from the Spirit In The Room album of 2012. It is amazing to me that Tom Jones is till churning out music after all these years! For those who don’t know, Tom Jones was releasing music in the early 60’s, like 1964. He seems to get grittier as he ages, when most artists are mellower with age.
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE (born 7 June 1940), known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer. He became one of the most popular vocalists to emerge from the British Invasion. Since the mid-1960s, Jones has sung nearly every form of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records.
Having been awarded an OBE in 1999, Jones received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II for “services to music” in 2006. Jones has received numerous other awards throughout his career, including the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1966, an MTV Video Music Award in 1989 and two Brit Awards – winning Best British Male, in 2000, and Outstanding Contribution to Music, in 2003.
Tom Jones with Art of Noise performing Kiss
In 1988, Englishsynthpop group Art of Noise released a cover of the song, featuring Tom Jones on vocals. The song became the band’s biggest hit to that point, reaching number eighteen on the U.S. dance charts and number five on the UK Singles Chart, higher than the original in that country. The guitar and horns break in the middle of this cover musically references the themes to Dragnet and Peter Gunn (two songs the Art of Noise covered with much commercial success) as well as their own breakthrough hit, “Close (To the Edit)” and “Paranoimia“, their 1986 collaboration with Max Headroom. This cover was later included as part of an episode of the series Listed on MuchMoreMusic, which was on the Top 20 cover songs. It can also be heard during the main title sequence of the movie My Stepmother Is an Alien. Tom Jones later recorded a version of the song for his 2003 Reloaded: Greatest Hits album.
Tom Jones She’s A Lady Live
“She’s a Lady” is a song written by Paul Anka and performed by Tom Jones, and released in 1971. In the United States (released by London imprint Parrot Records), it is Jones’ highest-charting single to date peaking at #2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and #4 on the US Billboard Easy Listening chart. In Canada, the single reached #1 on the RPM 100 national singles chart. Paul Anka’s recording of the song was released on his album Paul Anka ’70s (RCA 4309, 1970)
Tom Jones It’s Not Unusual
The fake screams of the girls are hysterical!
“It’s Not Unusual” is a song written by Les Reed and Gordon Mills, first recorded by a then-unknown Tom Jones after having first been offered to Sandie Shaw. Jones recorded what was intended to be a demo for Shaw, but when she heard it she was so impressed with Jones’ delivery that she declined the song and recommended that Jones release it himself. The record was the second Decca single Jones released, reaching number one in the UK charts in 1965. It was also the first hit for Jones in the US, peaking at #10 in May of that year. The single was released in the US on the Parrot label and also reached #3 on Billboard‘s easy listening chart. Jones used this song as the theme for his late 1960s-early 1970s musical variety series This Is Tom Jones. It has since become Jones’ signature song.
Like I said, I am amazed he is still pumping hard-hitting, powerful music after all these years. Tom Jones Hit or Miss will probably not be a hit but that does not take from its value or importance. Sales and radio airplay are just one measurement of music and its success or failure. Tom Jones Hit or Miss shows Tom Jones is still a rocker and is alive and well!
“Requiring more room to accommodate the crowds that flock to their sister restaurant, Iberia, the owners have realized their dream of building a palatial Portuguese / Spanish restaurant.
Iberia Peninsula is one of the most spectacular restaurants ever to be constructed in New Jersey. Cathedral ceilings, stainless steel topped bar stretching as far as the eye can see, brick, marble, and large barbeque pits make up this enormous restaurant. There are two large dining rooms. Both above and below the main restaurant are several beautifully decorated rooms of varying sizes for private parties.”
Fun 50th Birthday Party with Fun Rhode Island DJ
It is not often that I get the opportunity to provide Music, DJ & MC services for a Rutgers Professor who is also an Interfaith Minister. In this case, she is actually an even better person than her professional accomplishments. I can see why anybody would want Reverend Dámaris M. Otero-Torres to facilitate their special moments and life’s Blessings. her site, Epiphanies of the Heart, states her perspective;
“Life is a river of unlimited opportunities that invite us to explore the depths of joy, gratitude, beauty, love, intimacy and purpose.
Whether you are blessing the arrival of a new life, initiating the journey of marriage, renewing your wedding vows, or honoring the memory of a loved one, your ceremony is crafted with utmost care and reverence to crystallize that special moment in memories that will last for a lifetime.”
Damaris is a special woman, as is her husband Paul. I am so grateful to have been part of their wonderful night of celebration with more than one hundred friends and family eating, singing, talking and most of all, dancing! They wet a mixed crowd form New Jersey and NYC and represented many demographics and cultures collectively. Along with being really fun and caring people at the 50th Birthday Party, I always cherish being a Multicultural DJ. It is one of the things I do best as a Rhode Island DJ; mixing music and cultures seamlessly with respect and inclusion. At this 50th Birthday Party, there was a musical focus on Vocal Classics, 80’s Dance Music and lots of Salsa and Merengue. Her mother wanted a few Waltzes mixed in that she danced like a trained professional! They were beautiful to watch.
I always feel funny when I write this, but I love my job as a DJ of events like Weddings, Sweet Sixteens, Graduations and of course, Damaris 50th Birthday Party. I am grateful that I have the skills and training to excel as a DJ to offer my services for others. This is one of the reasons I offer a guarantee.
I continue to have fun and enjoy my experience as Trivia Host and DJ at O’Reilly’s Bar and Grill in Newton, NJ on Tuesday Nights.We have lots of fun and everybody learns a thing or two, even the Trivia Host and DJ! We gets tarted somewhere between 9:30-10:00 and play till we finish, about two hours later. They give out great prizes and the competition is stiff but casual and playful.
Now that I have been a Trivia Host for over a year now and feel like I am actually getting good at it, or at least decent! For those who don’t know, we play Bar Busters Pub Trivia. The game consists of seven Rounds or Categories; General Knowledge, Pictures, Sports, Music, Geography/History, Entertainment and a General Knowledge Bonus Round. The game is diverse enough that every team and player have a chance to do good, since we have questions that cover many different forms of trivia. One of the aspects of this particular trivia game I like best is the fact that you don’t have to shout out answers. In fact, nobody can shout out answers, they are all written down without anybody else knowing what you guessed! Great for people who want to have fun, test their brain a little and not want to make a fool of themselves in the process.
I enjoy Being a Trivia Host because it integrates some of my favorite character traits, excellent DJ and music, entertaining and sharpening up my brain while have lots of fun in the process. Of course, I can be a bit of a ‘ham’ at times but not too over-the-top.
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What is Pub Trivia and A Trivia Host?
Here is what Wikipedia defines a Pub Quiz Game with a Trivia Host:
“A pub quiz is a quiz held in a public house. These events are also called quiz nights or trivia nights and may be held in other settings. Pub quizzes may attract customers to a pub who are not found there on other days. The pub quiz is a modern example of a pub game. Though different pub quizzes can cover a range of formats and topics, they have many features in common. A 2009 study put the number of regular weekly pub quizzes in the UK at 22,445, and one website has counted approximately 2,000 regular weekly quizzes in the United States. The largest pub quiz, according to the Guinness Book of Records, was the “Quiz for Life”, held at the Flanders Expo Halls in Ghent, Belgium, on 11 December 2010 with 2,280 participants.”
Come join me Trivia Host and DJ at O’Reilly’s every Tuesday Night at 9:30!
For more than half a century, Celia Cruz, the Queen of Salsa carried her title with class and distinction. Her powerful voice and electrifying rhythm garnered more than 100 worldwide recognitions, multiple platinum and gold records, three GRAMMY awards and four Latin GRAMMY awards, as well as a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. Her boundless enthusiasm, genuine warmth, and deep-seated humanitarianism made Celia Cruz the music industry’s most accomplished and revered performer … and the world’s most notable ambassador of Hispanic culture. Celia Cruz Website
On Saturday Night, I was the DJ & MC for a very fun 50th Birthday Party at Iberia Peninsula Restaurant in Newark, New Jersey. Of course, the music was fabulous with the diverse party guests from New Jersey and New York City from all cultures and walks of life. I find it such a fun challenge to provide music for dancing for diverse audiences that don’t all enjoy the same music. It reminds if my days as a community organizer bringing groups together to create a common positive goal as one.
The playlist we created in advance included lots of Frank Sinatra, Rod Stewart, 80’s Dance Music, Thrift Shop and a significant chunk of Salsa, Merengue and Flamenco songs. Of course, Celia Cruz La Vida Es Un Carnaval was near the top of the DJ song list, in the “must-play” category, and we did. As usual, the response was great and the dance floor was packed with dancers smiling with joy. I thought it was time for me to pay tribute to Celia Cruz and her greatness, especially since she is somewhat of a local legend living many years in New Jersey.
Celia Cruz – La Vida Es Un Carnaval Music Video
“I feel very fortunate to have called Celia Cruz my friend. She was an inspiration not only as an artist but as a woman and a remarkable human being.” Gloria Estefan
(Celia Cruz) Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso de la Santísima Trinidad (October 21, 1925 – July 16, 2003) was a Cuban-Americansalsa performer. One of the most popular salsa artists of the 20th century, she earned twenty-three gold albums and was renowned internationally as the “Queen of Salsa” as well as “La Guarachera de Cuba.”
She spent much of her career living in New Jersey, and working in the United States and several Latin American countries. Leila Cobo of Billboard Magazine once said “Cruz is indisputably the best known and most influential female figure in the history of Cuban music.”
“Celia Cruz was an absolute pillar as a human being and one of the most unselfish humanitarians I have ever met and am sure I will ever have known.” Marc Anthony
Celia Cruz Legacy
In February 2004, Celia Cruz last album, Regalo del Alma, won a posthumous award at the Premios Lo Nuestro for best Salsa release of the year. It was announced in December 2005 that a musical called “Assuca” would open in Tenerife before touring the world. The name comes from Cruz’s well-known catch phrase of “¡Azúcar!”
On June 4, 2004, the heavily Cuban-American community of Union City, New Jersey heralded its annual Cuban Day Parade by dedicating its new Celia Cruz Park (also known as Celia Cruz Plaza), which features a sidewalk star in her honor, at 31st Street and Bergenline Avenue, with Celia Cruz’s widower, Pedro Knight, present. There are four other similar dedications to Cruz around the world. Celia Cruz’s star has expanded into Union City’s “Walk of Fame”, as new marble stars are added each spring to honor Latin entertainment and media personalities, such as merengue singer Joseíto Mateo, salsa singer La India, Cuban musician Israel “Cachao” Lopez, Cuban tenorBeny Moré, Tito Puente, Spanish language television news anchor Rafael Pineda, salsa pioneer Johnny Pacheco, singer/bandleader Gilberto Santa Rosa and music promoter Ralph Mercado.
On May 18, 2005, the National Museum of American History, administered by the Smithsonian Institution and located in Washington, D.C., opened “¡Azúcar!”, an exhibit celebrating the life and music of Celia Cruz. The exhibit highlights important moments in Cruz’s life and career through photographs, personal documents, costumes, videos, and music.
On September 26, 2007, through May 25, 2008, Celia, a musical based on the life of Celia Cruz, played at the off-Broadway venue, New World Stages. Some performances were in Spanish and some in English. The show won four 2008 HOLA awards from the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors.
“I had the honor and pleasure of photographing Celia for twelve years. I’ll never forget her smile and her amazing energy. The biggest thing about Celia is that she never knew how great she truly was. She always made me feel so proud to be Cuban.”
Gwen Renée Stefani; born October 3, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, fashion designer and occasional actress. Stefani is the co-founder and lead vocalist for the rock and ska band No Doubt. Stefani recorded Love. Angel. Music. Baby., her first solo album, in 2004. Inspired by music of the 1980s, the album was a success with sales of over seven million copies. The album’s third single, “Hollaback Girl“, was the first US digital download to sell one million copies. Stefani’s second and final solo studio album, The Sweet Escape (2006), yielded “Wind It Up“, “4 in the Morning“, and the highest-selling single “The Sweet Escape“. Including her work with No Doubt, Stefani has sold more than forty million albums worldwide. She won the World’s Best-Selling New Female Artist at the World Music Awards 2005. Billboard magazine ranked Stefani the fifty-fourth most successful artist and thirty-seventh most successful Hot 100 artist of the 2000–09 decade.
The Original Fiddler On The Roof (Film Version)
For those whom are not familiar with the theatrical production of Fiddler On The Roof, here is the film description from IMDB.
“At the beginning of the twentieth century, Jews and Orthodox Christians live in the little village of Anatevka in the pre-revolutionary Russia of the Czars. Among the traditions of the Jewish community, the matchmaker arranges the match and the father approves it. The milkman Reb Tevye is a poor man that has been married for twenty-five years with Golde and they have five daughters. When the local matchmaker Yente arranges the match between his older daughter Tzeitel and the old widow butcher Lazar Wolf, Tevye agrees with the wedding. However Tzeitel is in love with the poor tailor Motel Kamzoil and they ask permission to Tevye to get married that he accepts to please his daughter. Then his second daughter Hodel (Michele Marsh) and the revolutionary student Perchik decide to marry each other and Tevye is forced to accept. When Perchik is arrested by the Czar troops and sent to Siberia, Hodel decides to leave her family and homeland and travel to Siberia to be with her beloved Perchik….“
On Saturday Night I was DJ at Barefoot Boogie NYC. It was such a fun night and I really felt the vibe and connected with the dancers in a way that inspires me to continue to be a DJ and work even harder to improve. Good dancers deserve good music and energy to facilitate movement, dance and community. Professional DJs do not always get the opportunity to share their musical tastes and flavors. We are typically directed by the needs and wants of the Brides, Grooms and Party Planners that hire us to perform at the Weddings and Parties. When I am hired by a lounge or club, I typically have more freedom to open my DJ Music Library of more than 40,000 songs.
DJ Rocks The Barefoot Boogie?
The Barefoot Boogie is a freestyle dance which happens twice a month in New York City. We offer a relaxed, smoke- and alcohol-free environment where folks can freely express themselves in movement.
People of all ages, families and kids are welcome. Come alone or bring your friends. You’ll find folks at the dance moving solo, with partners, and/or in groups. Dress as you wish, but please leave your street shoes at the door before hitting the dance floor. The Barefoot Boogie is a not-for-profit, cooperative and volunteer-run venture.
From our pool of talented DJs, two spin each dance. Each of our DJs has his or her own distinctive style, but one thing you can rely on is that at every Barefoot Boogie you’ll hear a wide variety of music: R&B, World, Funk, Tribal, Hip Hop, Ambient, Reggae, House, African, Electronica, Disco, Rock, Techno, Drum & Bass, etc.
The Barefoot Boogie is a freestyle dance which happens twice a month in New York City.
We offer a relaxed, smoke- and alcohol-free environment where folks can freely express themselves in movement. People of all ages, families and kids are welcome. Come alone or bring your friends. You’ll find folks at the dance moving solo, with partners, and/or in groups. Dress as you wish, but please leave your street shoes at the door before hitting the dance floor. The Barefoot Boogie is a not-for-profit, cooperative and volunteer-run venture.
From our pool of talented DJs, two spin each dance. Each of our DJs has his or her own distinctive style, but one thing you can rely on is that at every Barefoot Boogie you’ll hear a wide variety of music: R&B, World, Funk, Tribal, Hip Hop, Ambient, Reggae, House, African, Electronica, Disco, Rock, Techno, Drum & Bass, etc.
From the first time I heard Macklemore Thrift Shop, I knew this was a song I would play again and again, and it would be a hit. I did not know how much of a hit Macklemore Thrift Shop would be though. As someone who enjoys shopping at thrift shops and vintage clothing stores, I am so happy there is a Pop Culture song that honors this fun, creative and well, thrifty way to shop.
Macklemore Thrift Shop Music Video (Has curses)
I typically try my best to not review songs that have graphic language but in this case I made an exception because the video is hysterical and the curses actually add the song, not just make it ‘cool’.
Macklemore Thrift Shop Story
“Macklemore Thrift Shop illustrates the speaker’s interest in buying cheap clothing from thrift shops, disdaining designer labels and trends. He claims to enjoy donning “your grandad’s clothes” and impulsively buying something just because “it was 99 cents”. Macklemore spoke to MTV News about the meaning of the song: “Rappers talk about, oh I buy this and I buy that, and I spend this much money and I make it rain, and this type of champagne and painting the club, and this is the kind of record that’s the exact opposite,” he explained. “It’s the polar opposite of it. It’s kind of standing for like let’s save some money, let’s keep some money away, let’s spend as little as possible and look as fresh as possible at the same time.” Upon asked why he thought the track was so successful, Macklemore replied: “I think hip-hop goes in waves, and it’s something that’s different. It’s a concept. It’s obviously against the status quo of what people normally rap about. This is a song that goes against all of that. How much can you save? How fresh can you look by not looking like anybody else? And on top of that, you have an infectious beat and a hook that gets stuck in people’s heads.” The song has been called a critique of the product placement common in modern hip hop.”
Macklemore Thrift Shop is a song by Seattle-based American rapper Macklemore and his producer Ryan Lewis. It was released as the fifth and final single from their collaborative debut studio album The Heist (2012) on October 8, 2012 and features vocals from Wanz. Despite being released on Macklemore’s independent label, with distribution by ADA, the single was met with unexpected commercial success, also a sleeper hit, peaking on the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 1 while selling over 3 million copies in total, also reaching number 1 in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, France, Denmark, Australia and New Zealand. The song is the first independently-distributed title to top the BillboardDigital Songs since “We Are the World 25 for Haiti” in February 2010. It is also the second independent song in history to achieve the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, nearly 20 years after Lisa Loeb‘s “Stay (I Missed You)” in 1994. A music video was released to accompany the song’s release.
What could make me happier as a DJ than a song that reaches Billboard #1 about a thrift shop, being unique on an independent label! Thank you Macklemore Thrift Shop for providing some hope to the American record industry.
I am so excited! My DJ Music Library reached 40,000 last week with the latest downloads from Prime Cuts Music. For those who don’t know, Prime Cuts Music is subscriber service for DJ Music.
DJ Music from Prime Cuts Music
“PrimeCuts subscriptions include over 50 new songs a week, covering 25 genres of music, such as Top 40, Country, Adult Contemporary, Alternative, Dance, Latin and much more.PrimeCuts includes every song & every genre of music we release to radio & DJs in the US–it truly is the most comprehensive music service for DJs!
All subscribers automatically have access to download their releases from the PrimeCuts website. Subscribers can also choose to receive discs (either audio CDs or MP3 CDs) in addition to their downloads. The PrimeCuts downloads system couldn’t be easier to use. Most subscribers use our popular 1-click option to download the entire week of releases. Once it is downloaded, they can either choose to keep all tracks and put them on their DJ computer, or they can pick & choose which songs they keep. Depending on your internet speeds, you can be fully updated with your weekly music update in as little as 5 minutes! Imagine that--just 5 minutes a week to stay current with all the new releases!”
It iso much fun adding new, legal DJ music every week directly from Prime Cuts Music. Having a DJ Music library of over 40,000 songs has taken quite a while and feels great to be at this milestone, but more to add every week from Prime Cuts Music and for individual Brides, Grooms and Party Planners for Weddings, Parties and Events. I am currently working on a playlist for an upcoming 50th Birthday Party for a Latina, a Professor at Rutgers State University and an Interfaith Minister. She is a great woman as a bonus! She wants a nice mix of Latin Music- Salsa, Bachata and Meringue and English Music from The Big Bands to Michael Buble with The Eurythmics and Duran Duran, and some current tunes like Macklemore “Thrift Shop” and will.i.am and Britney Spears “Scream and Shout”. Should be a really fun Party!
The DJ Doo Wop Mix was created to meet the needs of music lovers of young and old. The Doo Wop era of music was a fun and love-filled style of music. Doo Wop transcended race and social class, as well time and genre. Today, the Doo Wop songs are perfect for professional DJs at Weddings, Parties and Events, since they blend nicely with other genre like Oldies, Motown, Soul, R&B and Old Skool Hip Hop.Enjoy The Doo Wop Plus Mix!
