Photo of the Susie Hansen Latin Band Susie Hansen Latin Band
Photo of the Susie Hansen Latin Band

Weddings, Parties, Special Events

For your wedding, holiday party, fundraiser, corporate event, Quinceañera, anniversary or private party, Susie Hansen and her crew of talented musicians will play the best of Latin and American dance music. Susie fronts the band on violin and vocals with two other great musicians -- the terrific Cuban-American vocalist George Balmaseda and the dynamic vocalist and guitarist Kaspar Abbo.

The band has received many wonderful reviews, including one from Phil Elwood of the San Francisco Examiner, who describes the band this way: “It’s a sizzling, swinging Salsa band. The whole room was jumpin’ for joy.” According to Don Heckman of the Los Angeles Times, "Hansen was a ball of energy, creating an atmosphere of high voltage excitement.”

Services We Offer

  • We specialize in Latin dance music of all kinds, including Salsa, Merengue, Cumbia, Bolero, Cha Cha Cha, Bossa Nova, Samba, Latin jazz, Mambo and more.
  • We can also play a wide variety of popular American music including classic rock, disco, funk, R&B, Motown, pop ballads, jazz standards and big band swing.
  • We perform for many types of events, including corporate functions, non-profit dinner dances and awards banquets, weddings, birthday parties, Quinceañeras, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, anniversaries and special events of all kinds.
  • We have a huge list of songs that we play. Click here to pick music clips to hear. Check out our party songlist for some of the songs we often play.
  • We can provide the perfect music for cocktail hour or dinner, such as jazz, Latin jazz, Bolero, Bossa Nova.
  • We customize each event so that the music fits your taste and that of your guests, keeping the dance floor crowded.
  • We can emcee your event, if you like, and will help you plan the timeline.
  • We specialize in awards banquets, too, and we'll play the perfect music for the luminaries of your evening as they approach the stage for the presentations.
  • We have terrific Salsa dancers who can provide a lively and flashy floor show, teach a Latin dance class, break the ice on the dance floor, start a line dance, mix and mingle with the audience, dance with the guests or lead a conga line. It's a perfect party package!
  • We have great DJ's available to alternate with the band at very reasonable rates.

Services Especially for Weddings

  • We're happy to serve as master of ceremonies for your wedding. We can emcee in English, Spanish or both. We'll introduce the bridal couple, bridal party and parents in the grand entrance, announce and play the first dance, father-daughter dance and mother-son dance, introduce all the toasts, emcee the cake cutting and money dance, create a fun event with the bouquet and garter toss, and handle all of the formalities of your reception. You won't have to worry about a thing!
  • We will help you plan your wedding. We'll meet with you before your big day to create a detailed itinerary for the reception (and ceremony too). You can share the final schedule with your photographer, videographer and coordinator from the location. It's like getting a wedding planner for free!
  • We can perform wonderful music for your wedding ceremony with a trio of violin, piano and bass. We will play prelude music while your guests are arriving, perform a special song for seating of the parents, play music as the bridal party enters, and play a wonderful processional for the bride. We can supply any music that might be required during the ceremony, and conclude with joyous recessional music. We have a wide repertoire of classical music available, including Bach, Mozart, Vivaldi, Telemann, Handel, Haydn, Beethoven and more. Besides classical music, we can also play sacred, religious and ethnic music, such as Jewish music, as well as popular and romantic music, too.

See the Band Live at a Bridal Expo -- for Your Wedding or Other Special Event

Click here for a list of Bridal Shows and Expos where you can come and see the band play live, and hear the wide variety of music we offer for a special event. We will perform songs from the many musical styles we can play for your wedding or other event. We have free tickets available for some of the shows. Please go to our Bridal Shows and Expos page for more info, or contact us to request a free ticket, good for up to 5 people.

Photo of Susie Hansen

Music samples

Click here to select MP3 files of music samples to download.

Video clips

Click here to view a sample video of the band.

We're Everywhere!

The Susie Hansen Band has performed all over Southern California, at the Playboy Jazz Festival, Fiesta Broadway, the Los Angeles County Fair and the Newport Beach Jazz Fest. We have played for various special events, including the Inauguration of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigos, La Opinión's 70-year Anniversary Celebration, a movie premiere for Jennifer Lopez, a private event at the Los Angeles home of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Acadamy Awards events, Grammy events, exhibition openings for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and many New Year's Eve celebrations on the Queen Mary. We have played outdoor community concerts in nearly every city of Southern California. We have toured in the United States, playing jazz festivals and concerts from San Jose to Toronto and New York City. The band has played countless weddings and special events, and we have an extensive list of corporate clients.

About Susie Hansen

Violinist Susie Hansen is the musical director of the band, and has recorded or appeared as a guest artist with Tito Puente, Vikki Carr, Los Van Van, Orquesta Aragon, El Gran Combo, Sonora Ponceña, Orquesta Broadway and others. Her two CDs, "The Salsa Never Ends" and "Solo Flight," have received extensive airplay across the United States, Canada, Europe, South America and Asia. There are two singles from her current CD that have charted well for over a year with club and radio DJs throughout the United States. Five songs from her CDs have been included in six different salsa, jazz and Latin compilations in the US and Europe.

Our Clients Love Us

"The band is fabulous, the crowd truly enjoyed the performance."
- Stephanie Ross, K-BIG 104, Los Angeles

"By far you have the best music in Los Angeles and it's a joy to have you with us during our Gala."
- actress Carmen Zapata, Bilingual Foundation of the Arts

"Thanks so much for making such great music. You were terrific at our wedding--awesome!"
- Salsa promoter Albert Torres

"Your music was appreciated by all those present. Without your participation, our event would have not been as successful, elegant and entertaining."
- Sandra Eckhardt-Miranda, Macy's

"You and your band were excellent! You all looked great, too. We didn't have to worry about a thing. It was great to see so many people dancing--everyone had so much fun thanks to you!"
- Thomas and Deanne Lopez, wedding reception

"Your musical selections were right on from the first set through the last note."
- Ron Silverman, City of Hope

The Press Loves Us

"It's a sizzling, swinging Salsa band. The whole room was jumpin' for joy."
- Phil Elwood, San Francisco Examiner

"Hansen was a ball of energy, creating an atmosphere of high voltage excitement."
- Don Heckman, Los Angeles Times

"Hansen and her L.A.-based group achieve a rhythmic groove that's nothing less than hypnotizing."
- Mark Holston, Jazziz Magazine

"The Susie Hansen Band kept the dance floor crowded. It is one of the hardest working, most popular bands on the Latin scene today."
- Myrna Daniels, LA Jazz Scene

"What violinist Susie Hansen delivers can be summed up in a single word: energy. Her approach to the rhythmically dynamic music is infectious."
- Zan Stewart, Los Angeles Times

Contact Us

For information about booking your special event or wedding, contact us by e-mail or by phone at 323-224-8006. We can send you a free demo DVD, sampler CD, brochure and song list.