Today we’d like to introduce you to Krislyn Rojas
Hi Krislyn, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
It all started with “The Star Spangled Banner”… Between the ages of 13 and 16 I sang our National Anthem hundreds of times in my home town of Terre Haute, IN for various community, school, college and professional sporting events. I owe a lot to that backing track my middle school Choir teacher equipped me with. On one occasion a gentlemen in the crowd heard me sing and approached me with a map of the Eastern half of the United States and said, “Which theme park & city do you want to perform at professionally this summer?” I pointed to Chicago, IL and he hired me on the spot!
I would go on to balance between summers at Theme Parks with 4 undergraduate years at my Alma Mater The Indiana University Jacob’s School of Music as a Vocal Performance major and Varsity Captain/Choreographer of the Singing Hoosiers, graduating in 2003.
Upon graduation I turned my sights towards a more year-round opportunity: The “Mecca” of Theme Park Live Entertainment in Orlando, FL. Universal Studios, FL was my destiny as I moved to Orlando on a Friday & that Sunday I was auditioned and hired full time for Beetlejuice’s Graveyard Revue show. It was “home” for many years.
During that time I was introduced to the world of live corporate & special event entertainment – something I knew nothing about, being from a small city in Indiana. I was whisked away performing for international luxury weddings, 5 star resorts, fortune 100 company events, non-profits and impeccably run sales conferences that were awe inspiring to a 22 year old. I knew I wanted to be immersed in this vibrant and creative culture and I dreamt of turning it into a full time career.
At the age of 25 I decided to take leap of faith! I wanted to create something all my own, something where I could experience full creative freedom. It’s hard to step outside your comfort zone – it’s hard to step out into the unknown and follow your dream. I feel like I had been doing so most of my life, but this time it was different – this time I had to CREATE my own brand identity, my own artistry, attain licenses, insurance, staffing, auditioning, booking, management, etc…oh, and did I mention attaining clients? That process was not for the faint of heart.
In 2008 I launched what would become my Flagship act Blonde Ambition Band – which has since enjoyed 17 years of jaw-dropping performance experiences all over the Globe for the industries most prestigious Corporate and Social events in over a dozen countries.
In 2012 my husband & business partner Luis Rojas and I officially launched our talent agency called Eklectic Entertainment. Since then we have fostered the continual artistry and careers of over 260 year round musicians, bands, dancers, acro talent, DJs, singers, technicians, actors, atmosphere talent and various vendors – all supplying our clients with a trusted roster of vastly experienced and hugely diversified live entertainment. We produce impactful, immersive & experiential custom productions of all genres, all sizes and all budgets.
We are immensely proud of our wide range of artistic services offered to our clients. Our strength lies in our eclectic multi-cultural diversity and our ability to offer a one stop shop of services from custom conception to creative direction, staging / choreography, costuming, casting, onsite show management and production. The majority of our acts are produced in house.
Today, Eklectic Entertainment has become a respected talent resource worldwide – but perhaps our most crowning achievement is the fact that we are a FAMILY business. We are a husband and wife team surrounded by our most trusted family and friends. Luis and I are focused on building a forward thinking legacy plan with pride for all 3 of our sons who continue to demonstrate their dedicated passion to lead our team of talent towards creatively ambitious future growth.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
We are not a stranger to obstacles and challenges – in fact our flagship act Blonde Ambition Band was launched during the economic downturn of 2008. It was our belief that if we could create & develop something new during a downturn, by the time the economy and markets re-bounded, the product would have already become a well-oiled machine capable of making an immediate impact when markets stabilized. It worked.
This was also a very important mindset we chose to repeat with the paralysis of the special event industry during 2020/2021. We knew if we kept our team together by rehearsing them, creating with them, finding government aid and keeping as many talents on our payroll as possible – we would be amongst the first to bounce back with strength post Covid. It wasn’t easy – but it worked.
Our annual sales from 2019 would go on to double by 2023.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I consider myself a logistics expert who is also musically and creatively inclined to curate an impactful entertainment experience. I love to envision the BIG PICTURE and develop something exciting, breathtaking and one where the audience can feel immersed / surrounded by artistry. My goal is to be able to produce as many of the project elements as possible so they all work cohesively in tandem as a united team. I am particularly strong at conceptual show flow for various genres, particularly custom concert themes, Latin themes, LED and Futuristic tech themes, and the overall creative arc of a gala or evening event timeline that tells a unique story each and every time.
One thing I have realized that often sets me a part – I can speak the industry language of all – AV, Production Design, Planners, Producers, talent, staging, power, floral, weddings, social media, travel, food and beverage and everything between.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
My business partner and husband Luis Rojas is also my bass player in my band Blonde Ambition AKA Latin Ambition. We are together pretty much 24/7 year round except on only very rare occasions. He is my best friend and the love of my life. Most people that see us onstage performing together have no idea we are also a couple.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.eklecticentertainment.com
- Instagram: @eklecticentertainmentorlando
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eklecticentertainment/
- Other: https://www.blondeambitionband.com
Image Credits
Jed Johnson
Abigail Justice
Krislyn Rojas
Luis Rojas
