Bobby Brown Band Featuring Donnie Walsh

Last night January 15, 2011 The Bobby Brown Band performed at La Vida Loca in Playas Del Coco with Canadian Blues Hall Of Fame musician Donnie Walsh from The Downchild Blues Band.

It was a great experience for us to play with someone of this caliber. He really knows the blues inside out!

It was the 11th anniversary of La Vida Loca in Playas Del Coco and the owner Jimbo put on a free buffet, free rum punch and of course free live music with The Bobby Brown Band featuring special guest Donnie Walsh!

We also had Larry sitting in on keyboards. He’s a great player too and it was terrific to have that organ sound for the blues and rock & roll classics that we played. Unfortunately he will be heading back to The States this week but we may have another opportunity to play with him on Thursday January 20th at Beach Bums, also in Playas Del Coco.

The Bobby Brown Band is available to play at your wedding reception or corporate party! Although we are based in Playas Del Coco near Tamarindo, we can also travel throughout Costa Rica and even into Panama or Nicaragua.

Please send an email to

Remember to include your planned date and location so we can check our availability.

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Wedding at Tamarindo Diria

Last night I played for a wedding at the luxurious resort Tamarindo Diria Beach & Golf Resort. This resort sets its self apart from all others as the only hotel located on the white sand of the world famous Tamarindo Beach.

It was Tamarindo’s first hotel, offering guests 30 years of hospitality experience. Spread out over 5 acres, Tamarindo Diria Beach & Golf Resort’s mixture of tradition and contemporary style and architecture is surrounded by beautifully maintained lush tropical gardens. The majority of rooms offer incredible ocean views, providing picturesque sunsets, and access to Tamarindo Beach just a few steps from the hotel.

I played easy listening jazz, bossa nova and latin pop with my colleague from Los Mojitos, Warren Alani. He played the keyboard and I played bass guitar.

We played in the gardens outside the Mixcoa Restaurant for cocktails, then moved to the side of the restaurant and played during supper.

The guests were from The United States, around 50 of them I would say.

The duet played jazz standards Autumn Leaves and Blue Bossa, some reggae with Waiting In Vain and Redemption Song, latin standards Mi Historia Entre Tus Dedos and Mariposa Traicionera and also some pop classics such as La Bamba and Hotel California.

If you are interested in getting married in Costa Rica, consider Tamarindo Diria Beach & Golf Resort. It’s a beautiful place and very conveniently located right in the center of Tamarindo, around a one hour drive from Liberia Airport. Send me an email if you would like their weddings & events coordinator to contact you. My email address is

Remember to include your planned date and location so we can check availability.

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Marimba Duet

The marimba is a musical instrument in the percussion family with keys or bars usually made of wood struck with mallets to produce musical tones. The keys are arranged the same as a piano, with the accidentals raised vertically and overlapping the natural keys.

The chromatic marimba was developed in southern Mexico and northern Guatemala from the diatonic marimba, an instrument whose ancestor was a type of balafon that African slaves built in Central America.

If you are getting married in Costa Rica you can have a marimba duet perform for your wedding ceremony and cocktail hour. I am helping my friend by promoting him on this website.

If you are looking for a fun duet to play marimba at your wedding ceremony and cocktail reception in Costa Rica, please send an email to

Remember to include your planned date and location so we can check our availability.

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Bobby Brown Band at Zi Lounge

Last night The Bobby Brown Band played at Zi Lounge in Playas Del Coco. It was a great crowd for a Tuesday!

The Bobby Brown Band is a trio based in Playas Del Coco near Tamarindo, playing classic pop & light rock from the 1950s, 60s, 70s & 80s. Featuring Bobby Brown (guitar & vocals), Brad Moodie (bass guitar) and Dennis Turk (drums).

We are available to travel throughout Costa Rica to play for your special event, wedding reception, or for your bar, hotel or restaurant.

The band has agreed to play every second Thursday at Zi Lounge to tie in with their Happy Hour half price drinks till 7:30pm and the Ladies Night specials when the girls get free drinks from 9pm till 11pm. The band plays around 6:30pm till 9:30pm.

If you are looking for a fun, party band to play at your bar, restaurant or wedding reception in Costa Rica, consider The Bobby Brown Band! Guaranteed to get the people dancing! Please send an email to

Remember to include your planned date and location so we can check our availability.

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Bobby Brown Band at La Vida Loca, Playas Del Coco, Costa Rica

If you are looking for a fun, party band to play at your bar, restaurant or wedding reception in Costa Rica, consider The Bobby Brown Band!

This is a trio featuring Bobby Brown (vocals & guitar), Brad Moodie (bass guitar) and Dennis Turk (drums). They play roll n roll classics from the 50′s, 60′s and 70′s, covering groups like The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Elvis Presley and James Brown. They’ll even cover a little bit of Johnny Cash!

The band is based in Playas Del Coco in Guanacaste, north of Tamarindo but can travel throughout Costa Rica or even Nicaragua or Panama to play for your party.

On November 27, 2010 they performed at La Vida Loca in Playas Del Coco, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. This is an American style bar located right on the beach. It’s an open air bar and the owner Jimbo has recently built a nice stage area with a roof in case it rains. It was Jimbo’s birthday and he provided a free Mexican buffet and rum punch! And of course, free live music with The Bobby Brown Band. It was a great party, with people dancing and enjoying the entertainment.

It’s a nice spot for enjoying the sunset and the band played from around 5pm till around 8:30pm! A long performance but a lot of fun!

The band finished with the Georgia Satellite’s classic ‘Keep Your Hands To Yourself’ but then as an encore they performed ‘I Saw Her Standing There’ by The Beatles.

So for your next party in Costa Rica, try The Bobby Brown Band. Guaranteed to get the people dancing! Please send an email to

Remember to include your planned date and location so we can check our availability.

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Wedding At Hotel Playa Hermosa Bosque Del Mar

Last weekend I played for another wedding at Hotel Playa Hermosa, near Playas Del Coco. This time I played with my new duet Intermezzo featuring Vittorio Petrosillo playing piano and myself on bass guitar and trumpet.

November is the last month of rainy season in Costa Rica and we were a bit worried as we had four days of rain before the wedding. However we were lucky and it was a beautiful sunny day!

The bride requested Ave Maria for the guests waiting for the ceremony, then Pachelbel’s Canon in D for the processional and Bob Marley’s Is It Love for the recessional at the end of the ceremony. We also played a variety of classical music, love ballads and some jazz & pop standards.

It was a fairly large wedding, around 50 people I think. The couple are from The States but now live here in Costa Rica.

We also provided TV Pura Vida Videography to record the wedding and upload the footage to the internet immediately so the bride’s grandparents could view the ceremony.

Again, I strongly recommend Hotel Playa Hermosa Bosque Del Mar for your wedding. It’s a lovely setting, right on the beach, the hotel is very nicely furnished and the staff are always very helpful and attentive.

Playa Hermosa is located about 30 minutes from Liberia Airport, 10 minutes from Playas Del Coco and one hour from Tamarindo.

If you are interested in getting married in Costa Rica, please contact me and I will try to assist you. I work with many friends in the Guanacaste area who provide wedding services such as photography, flowers, videography and of course, musicians.

Please send an email to

Remember to include your planned date and location so we can check our availability.

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Rainy Season In Costa Rica

Costa Rica has two seasons:

Dry/Peak Season (what they call summer) is mid-November to April.
Rainy/Green Season (what they call winter) is May to mid-November.

In 2010 in Playas Del Coco, rainy season started on April 24th with hot sunshine in the morning then heavy thunderstorms in the afternoon. In May 2010 we had a few weeks of almost constant rain but then through June, July and August we had sunshine and heavy showers. September had the heaviest rainfall with not much sunshine. October is typically the rainiest month of the year, however in 2010 there was almost no rain in October. Usually by November the rain starts to ease off but in 2010 the first week of November saw almost constant rain again.

The tropical storms usually cause problems but this year has been particularly bad with lots of landslides and collapsed roads and bridges. On November 4 there was another lethal landslide, killing at least 20 people and another 10 missing in Escazú. Costa Rica’s government declared a national emergency.

So if you are planning a wedding in Costa Rica, please be aware of the seasons. There are no guarantees of course but there’s a good chance you’ll get rain during the North American summer months but December to April will almost certainly be constantly sunny and hot.

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Ask For Our FREE INFORMATION PACK To Assist You Planning Your Dream Costa Rica Wedding!

Feeling overwhelmed trying to plan your Costa Rica wedding? Our FREE 12 page PDF download provides you with dozens of useful tips and references to make your wedding in Costa Rica much easier to organize and ease your stress!

Included in this free ebook is a list of my personal recommendations on hotels and resorts, experienced wedding planners and wedding vendors such as florists, photography, videography and musicians.

Discover the essential guide to planning your wedding in Costa Rica… be prepared and know what you want and know what is available for your Costa Rica wedding so you have a clear expectation before you proceed.

This free booklet will help you in the following areas:

1. Pick a resort, hotel, villa or boutique hotel that suits your dreams and your budget
2. Choose one of eight different recommended wedding planners
3. Deal personally with experienced, friendly, English speaking coordinators, photographers, videographers, DJ and musicians.
4. Discover the legal requirements for getting married in Costa Rica.
5. Read my personal top 10 tips to ensure a smooth experience in Costa Rica.
6. Obtain a list of the top 250 most popular wedding songs for your ceremony and reception.

SEND US AN EMAIL AND REQUEST YOUR FREE INFORMATION PACK:

Remember to include your planned date and location so we can check our availability.

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Intermezzo Classical Wedding Ceremony Music In Costa Rica

Intermezzo is a group of musicians offering live music for wedding ceremonies, cocktail receptions, corporate events and private parties.

The musicians are Vittorio Petrosillo (piano) and Brad Moodie (bass guitar and trumpet). We also offer a classical violinist or latin guitarist as optional extras.

We play a sophisticated blend of classical music, jazz, bossa nova, latin, light pop, even samba and tango!

For your wedding ceremony perhaps you would like to have Intermezzo perform J.S. Bach’s ‘Air On A G String’, Pachelbel’s ‘Canon In D’ or W.A. Mozart’s ‘Marriage Of Figaro’.

Then for cocktail hour or dinner you could hear jazz and pop standards such as ‘And I Love Her’, ‘Brazil’, ‘I Say A Little Prayer’, ‘Moon River’ or ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’.

To request a copy of Intermezzo’s extensive list of repertoire, please send an email to

Remember to include your planned date and location so we can check our availability.

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MARIKA IN COSTA RICA Destination Wedding Services

MARIKA IN COSTA RICA Destination Wedding Services

Costa Rica is a very popular wedding destination because of its gorgeous flora and fauna.

Most couples choose amazing wild beaches for their ceremony, but there are many other options which include volcanoes, waterfalls, hot springs, rain forests, gardens, tropical hotels and private villas.

We welcome challenges and are willing to create unique events in incredible places, in a forest canopy, on a catamaran or yacht, in the shadow of an active volcano, on hang gliders, in thermal springs, etc. How great is that?!

The best time to visit Costa Rica is between November and April as it is summer time, the dry season, but the rest of the year is beautiful as well. During the rainy season things are great but it normally rains for a few hours in the afternoon.

We will gladly arrange for you any of the following: officiant, lawyer, bridal attendant, floral decorations, photography, video, music, fireworks, hair and makeup artist, favors for your guests, dancers, artistic presentations, etc.

If you can think of it, we can make it happen!

Whether you want a beach wedding with tikki torches or an arch with tropical flowers or a elegant indoor wedding at a beautiful hotel or a little, cozy villa close to the beach, it can all happen here in Costa Rica with our help!

MARIKA IN COSTA RICA has the unique talent and flair for customizing, paying attention to every little detail and producing every event to perfection with pride for your special day.

Our experience is your promise that your event will be a huge success.

The Chef will be consulted, and the food will be sampled by Marika, before we ask you to join us for tasting. If your schedule does not permit to be here, believe me, she is the chef’s worst nightmare.

Marika will personally handle finding the wedding site that you have dreamed of and ensuring that it suits your budget. She will also be there to coordinate the timing of the event with the officiate and all the other vendors.

Timing is the name of the game.

Our staff will meet you at the airport upon arrival, and will be there to wave good bye as you are boarding your flight.

There is so much more to talk about…

Visit MARIKA in Costa Rica

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Wedding at The Four Seasons, Guanacaste

Last night Brad Moodie played for a wedding at The Four Seasons with his latest ensemble ‘Intermezzo’. We played an interesting blend of musical styles including classical ceremony music, jazz, bossa nova, samba and Cuban boleros. This group features Vittorio Petrosillo (piano), Alexander Centeno (guitar & bass) and Brad Moodie (trumpet & bass).

The Four Seasons in Guanacaste, Costa Rica is an amazing place. It’s spread out over seven or eight kilometers on the Papagayo Peninsula, on the Pacific coast in north west Costa Rica.

The wedding was for a couple from Florida. The ceremony took place in a beautiful hall on the golf course and then everyone took a shuttle down to the restaurant in the main building.

The hall where the dinner and reception took place was quite spectacular, with chandeliers and a grand piano. The guests enjoyed a five course dinner including filet mignon and lobster tail.

The band played a few classical pieces such as Pachelbel’s Canon in D and Trumpet Voluntary by Purcell for the ceremony. Then for the cocktail reception they played jazz standards like All Of Me, Misty and Fly Me To The Moon, bossa nova standards Girl From Ipanema, Wave and One Note Samba, latin classics Besame Mucho, Como Fue and La Negra Tomasa and also pop songs such as This Guy’s In Love With You, Yesterday, You Are The Sunshine Of My Life and Close To You.

If you are interested in having ‘Intermezzo’ perform for your wedding or event please contact Brad at

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Wedding Packages

If you are planning on getting married in Costa Rica, we can offer a wedding package at a discounted rate. You can have:

1. Live musicians for your ceremony and cocktails
2. A professional photographer
3. A high definition video recording

All for one set price at a discounted rate. By taking advantage of a package deal your savings will average around 20%.

Our packages start from $1195 for musicians, photography and videography

Contact me today for a wedding package quote at

Please advise your planned date and location so we can check our availability.

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Another Wedding at Hotel Bosque del Mar, Playa Hermosa

Last night I played another wedding at Hotel Bosque del Mar, Playa Hermosa, Guanacaste in Costa Rica.

It’s a lovely setting for a wedding, located right on the beach in Playa Hermosa near Playas Del Coco. It’s about a 20 minute drive from the international airport at Liberia.

Although it is rainy season in Guanacaste between May and November, we managed to avoid the usual thunderstorms and played for the ceremony and cocktail reception on the beach. The heavens opened up shortly after we finished playing and the guests had gone to the dining room for supper.

Hotel Bosque del Mar in Playa Hermosa is one of my favourite places to play for weddings. The staff always treat us well, the hotel is beautiful and it’s close to where I live in Playas Del Coco.

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Videography Services For Weddings In Costa Rica

Are you interested in having your event in Costa Rica video recorded? TV Pura Vida is a professional video production company based in Playas Del Coco, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. They offer high definition, television quality recordings on DVD for weddings, vacations, commercials and adventure tours.

For your wedding in Costa Rica you can have your special day recorded in high definition for years of happy memories. Or perhaps you would like to advertise your restaurant or hotel with a television quality commercial? If you are a real estate agent you can show your properties with a professional video. And if you have a band why not record a video to one of your songs? If you are on an adventure vacation in Costa Rica you can record it and impress your friends! We record whitewater rafting, zip-lining, fishing, surfing and diving. TV Pura Vida can cover it all!

Here are a few samples of previous work:

COSTA RICA WEDDING

BABY SHOWER

RESTAURANT TELEVISION COMMERCIAL

ROCK BAND MUSIC VIDEO

To have your event video recorded or to create your television quality commercial, please leave a comment for me at the bottom of this page or you can email

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Wedding at Hotel Playa Hermosa

We recently played for a wedding at Hotel Playa Hermosa – Bosque Del Mar. Located right on the beach in Playa Hermosa, just north of Playas Del Coco in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. This is a boutique hotel offering a variety of suites including Garden View Suites, Beach View and Penthouse Suites. There is a very nice dining room which is air conditioned, suitable for wedding receptions and corporate conferences.

It was a young couple from The States getting married and they had about thirty guests attending. The band played for the ceremony, cocktails and dinner then a DJ took over for the dance reception. The ceremony took place on the beach just steps away from the hotel. The bride had asked for Canon In D by Pachelbel which is a very popular choice for walking down the aisle. We performed that piece as a duet with Warren Alani on keyboards and Brad Moodie on bass guitar. You can see video footage of this here.

Then for cocktails and during dinner we performed easy listening jazzy music in a variety of styles including latin, pop, reggae, salsa and bossa nova.

It is rainy season in Costa Rica between May and November so not surprisingly we had a heavy shower before the ceremony but then the sun came back and after the ceremony the guests were treated to another beautiful sunset over the Pacific Ocean. Once guests had gone inside for dinner the rain returned.

Hotel Playa Hermosa – Bosque Del Mar is an eco-boutique hotel promoting sustainability. Some of their sustainability practices include a water treatment plant which returns 70% of their water usage to be used for filling toilets and watering plants. They use recycled paper, they are involved in a project to help abandoned children, and they have a preventative maintenance programs to reduce electricity and water usage.

The location of Hotel Playa Hermosa – Bosque Del Mar is in the small town of Playa Hermosa in Guanacaste (there are several beaches in Costa Rica called Playa Hermosa, which means ‘beautiful beach’). It is about a 10 minute drive north of Playas Del Coco and about a 20 minute drive west from Liberia International Airport. When you come into Playa Hermosa from the south, turn at the first left beside the Century 21 real estate office. The road goes straight to the beach and there you’ll see the hotel and ample parking across the street.

If you are thinking about getting married in Costa Rica, have a look at Hotel Playa Hermosa – Bosque Del Mar. Full details are available at the website.

And if you would like live music for your wedding, consider having Intermezzo perform for your ceremony, cocktails, dinner and/or the dance reception. To get a quote to have Intermezzo appear at your function or venue you can email

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Wedding at Pacifico Beach Club

Last night we performed at a wedding at Pacifico Beach Club in Playas Del Coco, Guanacaste, Costa Rica.

It’s a beautiful setting for a wedding, located right on the beach at the north end of Playas Del Coco. The bride & groom were from Quebec Province in Canada and had about 30 guests.

It is rainy season here in Costa Rica so there is a good chance there will be stormy showers, especially in the afternoon. So unfortunately it rained during their wedding but it was still a lovely event.

The band played for cocktails, then during the meal and then for a bit more lively dancing music until 10pm. We played as a duet of keyboards and bass, playing a wide variety of styles including latin, pop, jazz, love ballads, reggae and bossa nova. Songs performed included Girl From Ipanema, Mariposa Traicionera, Route 66, Smooth Operator, Summertime, At Last, Clocks and even Billie Jean!

The food was amazing for the wedding at Pacifico Beach Club. The musicians were able to enjoy a meal and we had delicious chicken breast with cuscus and crisp vegetables.

Pacifico Beach Club is located at the north end of the beach in Playas Del Coco. When you come into town, turn right at Lizard Lounge and go north about half a mile, past Las Palmas and La Dolce Vita restaurant and just past Cafe De Playa on the left hand side. There is a gated parking lot with a security guard.

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Wedding Songs In Costa Rica

If you are having a Costa Rica wedding band perform for your special day, there are many choices of songs that you can discuss beforehand. The band should know well in advance if you have any particular songs that you would like to hear so they can make sure it is prepared and will sound great for your wedding. Or you can leave it to the band to pick songs on your behalf. Experienced bands will know which songs would be appropriate for the occasion.
There are different stages of a wedding that the band should be prepared for:

Prelude music: Played prior to the ceremony, while guests are arriving.
Processional & Bridal music: Played during the time the family, wedding party, and the bride walk down the aisle.
Recessional music: Music played as the new husband and wife walk up the aisle together.
First Dance music: First dance as husband and wife.
Father/Daughter music: The dance between the new bride and her father.
Mother/Son music: The dance between the husband and his mother.
Bridal Party Dances music: The dance including the Bride & Groom, Bridesmaids & Groomsmen, and family members.
Cutting The Cake music: Played while the Bride & Groom cut the cake.
Garter And Bouquet Toss music: Played during the bouquet toss and garter toss.
Last Dance music: The last song of the night for the Bride & Groom and their remaining guests.

Sometimes the bride and groom prefer to have recorded music for the ceremony, especially if they want a difficult classical piece, such as Handel’s Water Music or Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.

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Wedding Locations In Costa Rica

COSTA RICA WEDDING LOCATIONS

On the Pacific Northwest coast of Guanacaste, there are many romantic ocean front locations for an elegant and exotic Costa Rica beach wedding. Planning your destination wedding in Costa Rica from another country over the internet can be very stressful. Maybe you are looking for a romantic wedding for just the two of you on a secluded beach or perhaps a small Costa Rica catamaran wedding with family and friends, all wedding ideas can be customized. Costa Rica wedding planners offer packages designed to create the most magical and unforgettable weddings throughout Costa Rica. They will organize everything that is required for getting married in Costa Rica, hiring only the most responsible, bilingual wedding professionals. Wedding planners in Costa Rica knows all of the best spots to host your destination wedding and guests, based on their vast knowledge of Costa Rica.

Costa Rica is a top travel choice for many tourists as it boasts pristine beaches, adventure, volcanoes, nature, rainforest and more, making it the ideal place to plan that special event. With its romantic appeal, Costa Rica has firmly established itself as one of the world’s leading tropical wedding destinations. Imagine soft waves rolling onto the white sand behind you on your spectacular Costa Rica sunset wedding.

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Live Music In Costa Rica

Los Mojitos are a band of musicians offering live music in Costa Rica for weddings in the Guanacaste region. You can have local musicians perform ceremony music, romantic dinner music, jazzy cocktail music or lively dance music for your reception.

You can have Los Mojitos playing a mix of pop, latin, soft rock, jazz and bossa nova music featuring Warren Alani (keyboards) and Brad Moodie (bass & trumpet). They can also add saxophone, guitar or a female vocalist as optional extras.

This band specializes in wedding cocktail receptions but also plays for elegant restaurants, hotels, wine tasting functions, coffee shops and for corporate events. The most romantic music featuring piano, beautiful voice and bass would be the perfect background music to give your wedding a special ambiance.

There are many beautiful places to get married in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Los Mojitos have performed for weddings at Pacifico Beach Club, Reserva Conchal, Paradisus Conchal, The Riu Hotel and Red Palm Villas.
The band has all the equipment necessary to perform including amplifiers, mixers, speakers, microphones and lights. All that is required is a space approximately 10′x 10′ and one regular plug in.
Los Mojitos perform songs in both English and Spanish.

If you are interested in having a fun local Costa Rica wedding band to get people dancing, or a sophisticated jazzy trio to play elegant dinner music then consider having Los Mojitos perform on your special day! If you are dealing with a wedding planner or venue event coordinator, simply request a quote from them to have Los Mojitos perform at your wedding. Or you can contact the band directly.

To get a quote to have Los Mojitos appear at your function or venue you can email

VIDEO DEMOS:

Featuring Vocalist Jen Grubbs:

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