James Kuma

The Evening

An evening has a shape. Know it, and you can lead it.

Between the aperitif and the last song lie eight to ten hours with very different moods. I plan them with you in advance and adjust them to what actually happens in the room.

From 6 pm

Golden hour

Drinks at low sun over the sea — in Mallorca from about 6 pm in June, 5 pm in September. Groovy, acoustic material and calm house in the background. Loud enough to feel alive, quiet enough for the first conversation between guests who have never met.

From 8 pm

Dinner

Warm textures, nothing pushes. For me the most important hour of the night — I see who is here, how old the crowd is, who is already moving and who is still seated.

From 10 pm

First dance

Your song, cleanly played in, with calm light — and discussed in detail beforehand: how you want to dance, from which part of the song, the final pose, whether with an announcement and applause. Then the transition all of it is made for: the first party starter brings your guests onto the floor with you, and the ten planned songs after it do not let them go.

From 11 pm

Peak time

House, hip hop, Latin, EDM, plus the 80s, 90s and 2010s. In blocks, harmonically connected, without a break.

From 3 am

Wind-down

The moment everyone sings one last time. Then it gets warm, quiet and slow. An evening should end, not stop.

Next day

The day after

Recovery brunch or pool party. If you celebrate across several days, the thread stays the same.

DJ + Live

When a saxophone rides the beat.

Some moments want more than a good transition. For the aperitif, the first dance or peak time I bring in live musicians — saxophone, percussion or a vocalist who blend into my set instead of playing against it. I stay the common thread; the musicians are the exclamation marks.

Like everything else, it is arranged in advance — with you. And if you are looking for recommendations beyond the music — photography, ceremony, planning, flowers — I am happy to share my list of suppliers on request: people I have already worked with in Mallorca.

Saxophonist in a white shirt playing at low sun over the sea, Sunset Session in Mallorca

The moments between the songs

An evening is more than a dancefloor. There are moments when everyone holds their breath at once — the bride raises her bouquet, the ribbons pull tight, and in a second the scissors will decide. For moments like these the music takes a step back: the right song, the right volume, and the stage belongs to you. Knowing when the music leads and when it carries — that, too, is part of the craft.

Bride raising her bouquet with long pink and blue ribbons above her head, her friends holding the ends — the ribbon game on the dancefloor

How we prepare

Meeting. A video call, about 30 minutes. You talk about yourselves, I ask questions, and we both notice whether it fits.

Musical concept. Across three to four video calls we set the genres, the time windows, the first dance and the ten songs after it — and the songs that must never play. I take that list as seriously as the wish list.

Running order. Shortly before the wedding we walk through the day point by point and align it with your venue and your planner.

On the day. I build up early, stay reachable and follow the plan — until it no longer fits. Then I decide by what is happening in the room.

Common questions

What couples ask about this.

How long do you play in one evening?

Typically eight to ten hours from the aperitif to the last song. We fix the exact span in the running order; extending into the night is usually possible.

Can we hand in a wish list and a do-not-play list?

Yes, both. The do-not-play list matters to me as much as the wish list — songs that carry a certain memory, or that you simply do not want, will not be played.

Do you take guest requests?

Yes, if you want that. On request I place song-wish cards on the tables before the party, so your guests can make wishes early. I check every request against your do-not-play list and against the moment in the evening. A request that would empty the dancefloor is not refused loudly — it is placed later.

Do you also host?

Discreetly, yes. Announcements, handovers to the couple, guidance for guests. The music leads the evening, not the microphone.

Do you play the welcome dinner and the brunch too?

Yes. With destination weddings the multi-day celebration is the rule rather than the exception. Welcome dinner, wedding day, pool party and recovery brunch — one hand, one thread.

We can't agree on our first-dance song — will you find it with us?

Yes, and usually faster than you would think. What works is looking for your shared moment: the song that belongs to a story of you both. If two favourites remain, each of you writes down five titles — if one appears on both lists, the search is over. And almost any song can be arranged to carry the moment, as an acoustic version or a cleanly shortened edit.

How long should the first dance be?

Ninety seconds to two minutes is a good frame — the dance should be a moment, not an agenda item. Your song is brought in cleanly and resolved cleanly, and right after it the ten planned songs begin, bringing every generation onto the floor.

What is the Sunset Session?

My signature format for the aperitif: jazz, acoustic and groovy sets at low sun, with a live musician on request. It is the start of the arc that leads through dinner to the first dance.

Can we add live musicians?

Yes. For the aperitif, the first dance or peak time I bring in saxophone, percussion or a vocalist on request. The musicians blend into my set — I remain the common thread of the evening.

Next step

Tell me your date.

I reply within two working days with an honest assessment — even if I turn out not to be the right DJ for your evening.

Check my date