Music for Weddings | St Pancras Renaissance Hotel & London Bride

Music for Weddings

Music for Weddings

We recently worked on a vibrant and super-stylish Colombian-themed wedding party held at St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, and meticulously planned by wedding planner extraordinaire, Charley Beard.

Hansom Lounge Wedding

The bride was Colombian, the groom, Italian, and they had seriously good taste in music! Which made working with them great fun. The couple wanted a mix of Cumbia, Salsa and Afro-Beat music so we booked Latin specialist DJ, DJ Zulu! The perfect choice, given their lovely review:

“We were very happy with the music and with DJ Zulu’s performance. He really got our tastes right and many guests have told us the music was great!”
Susy & Francesco, Bride & Groom

London Bride

It was fantastic to work with wedding planner, Charley Beard. Charley is one of London’s most sought after wedding planners, and won ‘Best Wedding Planner in London & South East’ at the London Wedding Industry Awards 2016. She’s also (as if that weren’t enough!) Founder and Editor of the multi-award winning Wedding Blog, London Bride.
Charley’s blog is an absolute must-read for anyone planning a stylish wedding. It’s full of inspiration, from traditionally elegant to urban-inspired weddings. There really is something there for everyone! We very much look forward to working with Charley on more fabulous weddings in the future!

If you’re looking for a DJ for your wedding party, why not get in touch? Our DJ’s specialise in Funk, Soul, Latin, RnB, Commercial, 80’s , Afro Beat, UK Garage, and everything in between. We’d love to hear from you! Click HERE to contact us.

Music for Weddings | Corinthia Hotel London ft. The High Tones

Music for Weddings

Music for Weddings

london-wedding-venue-corinthia-hotel-london-003

We had the pleasure of providing the music entertainment for lovely couple, Caroline and Adam, on their wedding day at the gorgeous, Corinthia Hotel, London.

They booked rock n roll/blues trio, The High Tones, for the early evening set, followed by DJ Deetraine who kept the dance floor packed until the early hours.
We also provided the LED DJ booth, and all staging was provided by Outrage Events.

Music Entertainment at Corinthia London Music Entertainment at Corinthia London 

Here’s what the wedding couple, Caroline and Adam had to say…

“The High Tones and DJ Dan were both perfect, everything went so smoothly – we couldn’t have hoped for a better evening. The High Tones set the atmosphere wonderfully and our guests absolutely loved them. Dan had the dancefloor packed all night and he played some of our favourite tunes that hold the happiest memories for us 🙂 They were both everything we hoped they would be and I cannot thank them and you enough for making our evening such fun for us and our guests.
I don’t think I could ever put into words really how much we enjoyed our day and what a huge part you all played in it, but I hope it’s enough to know that I’m so incredibly glad we chose Sound Generation (for the fact I got to organise everything with you!) and the High Tones and DJ Dan (for the fact that they completely made the evening).”

Watch the High Tones HERE.

Listen to example playlists by DJ Deetraine and more Sound Generation DJ’s HERE.

If you’re looking for wedding entertainment for your wedding day, please feel free to get in touch with us HERE.

Music Entertainment for Wedding at Corinthia, London

Music for Weddings | Smashing The Glass feature; A Jewish Wedding

Music for Weddings

Music for Weddings.

SG were delighted to be feature on Smashing The Glass recently – a fantastic resource for couples planning a Jewish wedding!

Jewish weddingphotography by: SE3 Productions

Smashing The Glass was founded by Karen Cinnamon, and is recognised as one of the UK’s leading wedding blogs, and specialises in cool, creative Jewish weddings.
We had the pleasure of working with – now newlyweds – Amy and Adam on their Jewish wedding, which featured SG band, Dukebox City.
You can read all about their colourful wedding on STG HERE!

YOUR JEWISH WEDDING

If you’re planning a Jewish wedding, we would love to hear from you! We believe that the music entertainment is one of the most important elements of your wedding day. It’s an opportunity to select songs and music that are really personal to you both, and getting the music right is essential to setting the right mood. The music is the soundtrack to your wedding day, and is high on the list of what your guests will be talking about afterwards.

Band for a Jewish wedding Briggs Street Players.

Whether you’re looking for cool, contemporary music on your wedding day, or traditional Israeli music (or both!), we can help. All our acts are selected for their outstanding ability, reliability and professionalism so you can be sure of getting the best in the business.

Band for a Jewish weddingSoul Essentials

Some acts can provide traditional Israeli music, including bands, Dukebox City and Soul Essentials, but we also provide harpists, string quartets, jazz trios, acoustic duos, DJ’s and more.

Harpist for a Jewish weddingCecilia

To get in touch with us to discuss your requirements please click HERE!

A ROUND UP | BRIDES THE SHOW 2016

What We've Been Up To

We had a fantastic time at Brides The Show this year! It was great to meet lots of  wedding couples and chat through their ideas for music entertainment on their big day. We also met some fab exhibitors, including our super lovely neighbour, and amazing photographer, Faye Cornhill.

Some of our acts also performed over the weekend, take a look at a small collection of images below! …

Wedding Entertainment

Cellist, Kirsten, from string quartet ESQ.

Vocalist, Daniel, from the Briggs Street Players.

Wedding Entertainment

Harpist extraordinaire, Cecilia.

Wedding EntertainmentVocalist/guitarist, Laura.

FEATURED ARTIST – NOVEMBER | James Sayer, Blues Singer

Artist Feature

Blues/Rock'n'roll singer

CLICK HERE to listen to James | CLICK HERE to book James

Favourite album…
‘If That’s What It Takes’ By Michael McDonald

Grew up listening to…
Elton John, Billy Joel, The Beatles, Rod Stewart, Jools Holland, Tina Turner, Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino.

Which artists/performers are your greatest influence…
Elton John, Michael McDonald, Richard Tee, Rod Stewart, Steely Dan. (And lots more!)


Artists we should check out…
Ruen Brothers (Who I’ve been lucky enough to play piano/bv’s for over the last year)

Career highlight…
Recording with Rick Rubin in Malibu.

Claims to fame…
Meeting Michael McDonald and him telling me he’s a fan of my own music.

Best gig you’ve seen this year…
Steely Dan at Coachella music festival.

What does the future hold…
Release my debut album next year and begin playing festivals with my band. Then just see what the future holds!

A ROUND UP | BRIDES THE SHOW 2015

What We've Been Up To

We had an absolute blast at Brides The Show last month! It was great to meet so many wedding couples, and find out what music entertainment they were looking for. We’re looking forward to working with some of them over the next few months!

Soul Singer at Brides The ShowUlrika performing live on the catwalk.

Soul Singer at Brides The ShowLibby and Dave from band, ‘Replay‘, performing live on the catwalk.

Strings at Brides The ShowKirsten and Charis performing live in the restaurant at Brides The Show.

Brides The ShowEnd of show silliness!
Photo courtesy of our lovely neighbours, Photobooth!

FEATURED ARTIST – OCTOBER | Jo Harrop, Jazz Singer

Artist Feature

Jo Harrop & Hannah Vasanth

BOOK JO HARROP FOR YOUR EVENT

Favourite album…
At the minute I have Anita O’day Sings for Oscar Peterson on repeat…

Grew up listening to…
Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Anita O’Day, Tony Bennett, Jack Jones, The Carpenters, Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin, and also Whitney Houston was a big favourite in my young life (Oh and the Doors in my Uni years – who didnt!?!)

Greatest influence…
All of the above, and Audrey Hepburn!!

Artists we should check out…
The Slow Show – an amazing band from Manchester!

Career highlight…
I supported the Blind Boys Of Alabama (Theme tune from HBO’s The Wire….

Claims to fame…
I sang with Neil Diamond at the 100th Royal Variety Performance at the Royal Albert Hall, and I’ve sung with Enrique Inglesias! Oh and I was as a dancer on the “Its A Rainbow Baby” Rainbow dance video…. I got to dance in a bed with Zippy & George! Yes really.

Best gigs you’ve seen this year…
Last night I saw Cafe Society Swing (Alex Webb’s Copasetics Foundation) last night at hideaway! It’s a wonderful show and one of highlights I have seen this year. I recently saw Michelle John – she is incredible!!! Also, Andreya Triani – who was amazing, and The Slow Show!

What does the future hold…
I am working with Alex Webb on a great new project, “Carrying The Torch” which celebrates the great torch singers like, Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, and Edith Piaf, playing songs such as I’m A Fool To Want You and Hymne A L’Amour. We play some London dates including St James Theatre February 20th 2016.
I also continue to work as an advocate for animal rights and conservation of the environment.

FEATURED ARTIST – CHRISTMAS EDIT | Michael L Roberts

Artist Feature


Christmas Singer

BOOK MICHAEL FOR YOUR CHRISTMAS EVENT

Favourite Christmas song…
‘Cool Yule’ (Louis Armstrong) – “lay a lick on a peppermint stick” Best. Lyric. Ever. ;-D

Favourite Christmas movie…
‘Die Hard’ – I find it warms the blood with unparalleled joy, as one gives thanks for Bruce Willis, and all that he achieved in that tower.

Any Christmas traditions…
I wear a Red Reindeer jumper… and that’s all … no other clothing is required on Christmas Day. I used to watch ‘Empire Strikes Back’ every Christmas as a kid. As Samuel Johnson dug, “Claret is the liquid for boys, Port for men; but he who aspires to be a hero must drink Brandy”. Having encountered and consumed all three life-affirming impostors, I can usually be found invoking the deities of Nashville through gauzy Fender-Dobro and Vocal hallucinations of a Country Christmas.

Favourite Christmas album…
‘When My Heart Finds Christmas’ (Harry Connick, Jr.) – put your Buble down and listen to the real deal – all arrangements for orchestra, big band and quartet penned by Connick, plus many great originals and killer playing from all throughout.

Any Christmas gigs booked in…
I can be found making noise at the Archduke with Nick Pini on Sunday afternoons – with my traditional Festive knees-up taking place there on the 13th December. I will also be finishing off my ‘Antony & Cleopatra’ Opera before the curtain falls on 2015, ready for an enthusiastic splurge of related endeavours in the new year.

Stocking fillers…
Same thing I ask for every year… a pocket-sized James Titshall to take around with me on a day-to-day basis and let me know I’m doing ok … alas, this has yet to materialise. Any recordings by Troyka, Toy Rokit, Nick Cave or Ryan Bingham, an advance copy of Dr. James D. Boys’ new book “Hillary Rising”, and a veritable embarrassment of Sound Generation paraphernalia.

FEATURED ARTIST – AUGUST | Havana Kings, Cuban Band

Artist Feature

Havana sugar kings-trio

Favourite album…
Stevie Wonder ‘Songs in the Key of Life’

Grew up listening to…
Irakere, Brass Construction, The Commodores, Stevie Wonder, Orquesta Aragon, Beny Moré. Chucho Valdez of Irakere, lived a few doors away from my Grandparents in Havana and he would bring us music from all over the world. As a kid I would listen to his stories while my Grandfather smoked a fat cigar. Chucho introduced me to jazz and the greats like Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin.

Which artists/performers are your greatest influence…
Beny Moré, Chucho Valdez, Tata Guines.

Artists we should check out…
Yosvani Terry, Gonzalo Rubalcava, Trombone Shorty.

Career highlight…
Playing Ronnie Scotts as part of Omar Puente’s Sextet on Bata drums, incorporating the folklore of traditional afro-Cuban Bata with latin jazz.

Best gig you’ve seen this year…
Juan Luis Guerra y la 440. A great Bachata band from Dominican Republic.

What does the future hold…
Playing, collaborating, writing, recording, making music 24/7!

A ROUND UP | When Camilla met Camilla!

What We've Been Up To

London Harpist

Last month Camilla Parker Bowles was a surprise guest at the Hampton Court Palace Flower show and visited Paul Martin’s ‘A Music Lover’s’ garden where SG harpist, Camilla, was performing. We were delighted that Paul went on to win the Silver Gilt Medal for his beautiful garden!

Camilla Parker Bowles

Camilla+Parker+Bowles+Duchess+Cornwall+Visits+-xccQY81gRYl

paul-martin

FEATURED ARTIST – JULY | Meg Cavanaugh, Jazz Singer

Artist Feature

Jazz Singer

Favourite artist/s…
I love Joni Mitchell, Billie Holliday, Al Green, and Willie Nelson-among loads of others!

Favourite album…
Louis Armstrong playes WC Handy

What does the future hold…
Global Warming, increase in gas prices…kidding! In August I’m touring Japan, and I have two eminent albums about to be released: Hello Mr. Magpie which is being released in August with ADI records, and an independently released jazz influenced album yet to be named. A very exciting end of summer!

Grew up listening to…
James Taylor, Elton John, musicals, and No Doubt

Artist/producer we should check out…
Sam Johnson is a fantastic player and songwriter, very young and hugely talented. Also the Kosmic Troubadour is an artist that plays an open mic I host frequently at Off Broadway bar and he is popular with the Hipsters.

Claims to fame…
My cute cavalier King Charles spaniel is featured in an international campaign for a dog diffuser plug in! He is recognized on the street. 🙂

Best gig you’ve seen this year…
I saw 100 years of Billie at the Hackney Empire: it was her 100th birthday and there was a full orchestra playing all the hits with three incredible female vocalists-and I wept three times. In a good way. It’s a wonderful venue with lots of history, and the songs are timeless.

FEATURED ARTIST – JUNE | DJ JC

Artist Feature


DJ JC Sound generation DJ

Favourite artist/s… 
Currently I’d say either Daley or Drake. I first saw a video of Daley on YouTube covering Maxwell’s ‘Pretty Wings’ and that was all I needed to know! After that, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to see him perform live at an intimate show in the Jazz Café in Camden; his vocals were absolutely unreal. As for Drake, the man writes his own history. I saw him at Wireless a few years back, and he put on the best show I’ve ever experienced.

Favourite album… 
Really enjoying ‘Tuxedo’ by Tuxedo (Mayer Hawthorne & Jake One). A soulful, contemporary, electro-funk sound rolled into one album. For me a definite sound track to a long awaited summer.

What does the future hold… 
I can be a bit of a realist at times, so I can’t take anything for granted as a DJ. The optimist in me is driving to mould my DJ career into something that mainly my mother, other family and friends can be proud of. Treating this journey like a business, I feel, will increase its longevity. So, branding myself, marketing, networking, but most of all, having fun with the whole experience is all I’ll say for now…

Grew up listening to… 
Reggae music. Coming from a British-Caribbean home, having a mother who loves a bit of Beres Hammond and a father who is a DJ, it wasn’t a genre I could avoid. My brother was, and still is, big into his non-mainstream Hip Hop which opened a new world to me with artists like J-Dilla. R’n’B, Garage, Grime, House, Soul all had a part to play in my musical upbringing, and play a massive part in my DJ sets.

Artist/producer we should check out… 
As previously mentioned, Daley, Tuxedo are two acts that I’m really loving. Leon Bridges, Bo Saris, BANKS, Kaytranada, MNEK, Chronixx, Jamie XX… different vibes, good music, get researching!

Claims to fame…
I used to play professional Football as a teen, small stints at Brentford, Luton Town and Fulham were all quite clearly unsuccessful! Other than that, let’s just say there is plenty room for impressions on the fame scale. Watch this space!

Best gig you’ve seen this year…
Not seen any in the first half of the year; DJ Lifestyle is relentless! But I am going to see Slum Village at the Jazz Café in a couple months. I have also got Wireless, Lovebox and a few other amazing shows to attend this Summer. Definitely a few unmissable moments lined up that you can keep up with on my Twitter feed (marketing masterclass!)

Music for Events | Pfizer

Clients
Music for Events

We were thrilled to work with Pfizer on their recent company part at 30 Euston Square and it was no ordinary office party! Not only were there Hoola Hoopers and Ice Sculptures, but party band, Dukebox City, had the dance floor packed all night!

Pfizer

Music for Events | Hampton Court Flower Show; A Music Lover’s Garden

Clients
Music for Events

Live Music at Hampton Court

We are thrilled to be working with Vestra Wealth and award winning Garden Designer, Paul Martin, at this year’s Hampton Court Flower Show.

Wealth Management company, Vestra Wealth, have sponsored Paul’s garden, and drafted in a little help from Sound Generation. A previous GOLD winner, this year Paul Martin has designed a spectacular ‘Music Lover’s Garden’, with a designated performance space.

There will be live music on the preview night (by invitation only) from Sound Generation’s very own, Sofia Wilde, harpist, Isabella Asbjornsen and gypsy jazz quartet, Nouevau Boheme.

Read more about the show HERE.

Music for Venues | Live Music at Coya Members Bar, Mayfair

Clients
Music for Venues

Music at Coya Members Bar

Last month we worked with new client, Coya. Coya is an award-winning Peruvian restaurant and private members bar in Mayfair. They regularly host live world music, and we were delighted to help them fill their programme in May, with awesome vocalist, Heidi Vogel, from The Cinematic Orchestra. More SG acts will be performing there very soon!

Click HERE for more information on Coya.

 

FEATURED ARTIST – MAY | Libby, singer from SG band, Replay

Artist Feature

Soul Singer for Hire

Favourite album…
Very difficult to pick just one, but the album I go back to time and time again is ‘Never Can Say Goodbye’ by Swedish singer Trijntje Oosterhuis and Guitarist Leonardo Amuedo. Although Jackson’s songs speak for themselves, Trijntje’s passion brings new life to the music I have grown up with.

Grew up listening to…
I was really lucky as a child to have such an eclectic mix of musical styles around me. My parent’s record collection had everything from musical theatre, to Motown, to Jazz. Listening to such a wide range of music so early on gave me a real desire to make music a big part of my life…So that’s what I did!

Which artists are your greatest influence…
Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Etta James, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Joss Stone. To name a few!

Artist we should check out…
Kwabs – what a phenomenal voice! Kwabs’ music is easy to recognize and hard to forget.

What does the future hold…
For the last 3 years, myself and the very talented Michael Pitman (Drummer and writer from Xerath) have been working on an amazing EP, which is being released later this year! I am the feature vocalist on the whole album, which is an absolute privilege! Also for me, the start of 2015 has been very exciting, as I have officially set up my company. I hope that the future holds more gigs and session work as it is my main passion but I am also looking forward to running my business and finding out what new possibilities that brings!

A ROUND UP | Geronimo Inns Wedding Show

Clients
Music for Weddings
What We've Been Up To

Geronimo Inns Wedding Entertainment

Join us this Saturday from 12pm at the Geronimo Inns Wedding Show taking place at the Crown, in Bow. Three of our acts will be performing live: vocalists, Mi’das and Dan, and harpist, Isabella. An absolute must for any wedding couples looking for inspiration!

The show will feature local suppliers showcasing products including vintage dresses, flowers and cakes, plus there’ll free sample canapés, the bar will be serving drinks and the entry is free!

FEATURED ARTIST – APRIL | Isabella, Harpist

Artist Feature

Wedding Harpist

To book Isabella click HERE to contact us.

Favourite album…
Tie between Kate Havnevik’s album ‘Melankton’, & Florence and the Machine’s album ‘Ceremonials’.

Which artists/performers are your greatest influence…
Deborah Henson-Conant & David Garrett.

Artists we should check out…
The Corners of the Earth.

Career highlight…
Performing at the Brits with Florence and the Machine and Dizzee Rascal & performing at Buckingham Palace.