Wedding DJ Spain | Funky R&B and Hip Hop wedding playlist
For a truly memorable wedding reception and a catchy playlist to get your wedding guests grooving into the early hours, check out today’s feature article with the amazing Costa del Sol wedding DJ, RJay.
A great wedding DJ knows the right music to play at all the right moments and will ensure your wedding reception hits the right notes—literally! Something RJay, coming from a multigenerational family of gospel singers, originally from Barbados in the Caribbean, knows well.
Originally from Greenwich, south London, RJay moved out to Spain some six years ago, following his uncle’s—the superb sounding Mr Maph—footsteps.
We had the pleasure of interviewing Mr Maph, who has performed alongside the likes of The Original Jackson’s and Otis Redding III, just a few weeks ago, and it was a real treat to find out more about this musically gifted family by speaking with the next generation of artists.
RJay is resident DJ for some of the coolest clubs in Marbella, including: Club Momento, Mosh and News Cafe and today we find out more about his trajectory and why hiring the right DJ for your special day is so important.
Thanks for joining us today RJay, tell us a bit more about how you tuned your musical skills to DJing?
I originally started performing as a singer, my uncle, Mr. Maph, had been double booked and I was given the opportunity to cover one of the events, that one event led to others and soon I found myself singing at functions up and down the Costa del Sol.
My passion is music in every form and I’ve always been happy to venture and learn other music related professions as well as singing, so I started shadowing and learning from a great friend of mine, Chris Wallem, who is also a resident DJ in Marbella.
Chris was hired, together with another DJ, for a big gig in the area, but the other DJ fell through— his plane was delayed or something—and couldn’t make it on time, so Chris asked me if I wanted to cover. It wasn’t something I was expecting or had prepared for, but I didn’t hesitate to say yes and haven’t looked back since, with DJing becoming my primary income.
I understand you play modern music and you’re one of the leading R&B and hip hop DJs along the coast, but how do you define your style?
On a surface level, R&B and hip hop with a bit of reggae and caribbean influences. I also really enjoy the tropical vibes of African and Jamaican music, but I consider myself pretty diverse, and I can adapt my style to almost any request.
Do you have a fixed wedding playlist, or do you go over the playlist with the bridal couple before the big day?
I always go over the playlist with the bridal couple before their wedding day, even if they give me total creative freedom to do what I want, I always make sure to ask them what music they like.
Most of the people who contact me come through word of mouth or they’ve heard me performing before, but even so, I always check their music preferences. Sometimes I even ask the bridal couple for their playlist and listen to it, to get a feel for what they like.
What are your top five tracks to play at a wedding?
It’s actually super hard to cut it down to just five, but for me, and in no particular order it would be:
- Crazy Cousins – Do You Mind
- Robin Thicke – Blurred Lines
- Nightcrawlers – Push The Feeling
- Donell Jones – U Know What’s Up
- Stevie Wonder – Superstition
What do you most love about being a DJ? A wedding DJ? And is there a difference for you?
What I most love about being a DJ is seeing people enjoying themselves with the music I’m playing and this goes for if it’s a gig at a club or private event like a wedding. When I’m playing at a club I need to read the crowd and cater to a wide range of people from different nationalities, but a wedding is a whole different ball game because, in my humble opinion, hiring the right DJ can make or break your big day, and I take this responsibility very seriously.
A wedding is going to be remembered forever and often what makes for an epic wedding is how much fun the guests have at the reception.
I always take my time to craft a catchy playlist in line with what the bridal couple has requested, afterall, like I’ve said, the music sets the tone for the reception and has a heavy hand in determining the wedding guests’ experience and how the wedding day is going to be remembered.
On behalf of Sunshine Weddings Spain, a huge thank you for your time and for sharing with us your insight into how best to get a party going and also for the cool photos. We hope to hear you very soon in future weddings.