Today we’d like to introduce you to Krishan Badal.
Hi Krishan, 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?
So, my dad was a DJ prior to my birth. Both my parents are from Suriname, born and raised, and that’s where my dad was a DJ. So when I was a child in elementary and middle school, I’d come home from school and begin messing with my dad’s equipment, I took this wire and that wire and messed with his equipment and speakers all the time, ended up burning 85% of his equipment, obviously today we’re replaced it haha. I remember being around 11yrs old (2001), bootlegging music from the radio and recording it to cassettes. And we would occasionally have parties at home for our birthdays or their anniversary or get-togethers with friends/family, and I’d be the one playing music as we began having them. I loved seeing people go crazy to music I played and seeing them sweat all night and be tired by the end of the night and it was because I played that song at that moment and they enjoyed themselves, it was a high for me, and still is, to be honest. So I began with our house parties, snuck out once to go DJ with older guys from high school at a club down in Tampa, then did 1 or 2 of my friends’ parties, tried DJ’ing at a local club alongside another resident DJ while in high school. And my teacher from freshman or sophomore year allowed me to DJ his Wedding, the first Wedding I ever did. I remember at that time I borrowed my girlfriend’s laptop to go DJ and didn’t even own my own, my first laptop I ever had was when I graduated high school, my dad gifted me one and that’s where it took off. My dad wasn’t that excited for me to be a DJ, I remember in 2008 I went to check out some used equipment being sold on Ocala4sale.com and I ended up negotiating the seller from $850 down to $500 for his equipment, and he sold it to me. My dad was furious when he saw me come home with the gear haha. He wanted me to be a politician and not a DJ. But I stuck with my guns and did it anyway.
Every year I got better, learned new ways to mix, and added more equipment and services under my brand, it just began to grow word of mouth and I began utilizing my network and as much free online advertising and social media as I could haha. My first international gig was in 2012 in Cancun, Mexico, and since I’ve traveled to India, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Suriname, Holland, Panama, and countless cities within Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Rhode Island, North Carolina, Texas, Georgia, Louisiana, and Alabama, all for events! I went from being a sole DJ to now offering MC/Sound/Lighting/Video Projection/Live Performers/Atmospheric Effects/Dancefloors/Photo Booths. Provide sales of new equipment and do rentals and sound setups as well for other vendors and bands/DJs.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
DJ’ing/Entertainment isn’t a common career choice amongst Indians, haha. My dad wanted me to be a politician anyway. Indians are usually doctors, engineers, lawyers, architects, accountants, or business owners of some sort. So no one would and even still till today, we always get looked at as jokes and as part-timers just doing this as a hobby or to make some cash on the “side”. People think we scrape pennies and barely make a sustainable or profitable living. People think male DJs are players and not trusted partners to date, so that has affected my dating life for sure.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We offer DJ/MC/Sound/Lighting/Video Projection/Live Performers/Atmospheric Effects/Dancefloors/Photo Booths. Provide sales of new equipment and do rentals and sound setups as well for other vendors and bands/DJs. We travel worldwide for events and cover any type of event. We specialize in 95% East Indian events and then West Indian events, then American and Corporate events. We pride ourselves on being unique and personable with our clients. Service, transparency, and honesty are our core values. We’ve been in the industry for a while and do our best to provide quality service for any event to be talked about for years.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Risk-Taking is necessary, that’s what makes us feel alive and like life is worth living and energizes us. Playing it safe doesn’t benefit anyone and I feel like you don’t enjoy life as much. It may scare you on one hand, but it provides such a rush on the other hand. Taking the risk to proceed with DJ’ing despite what my dad told me. Creating an entertainment business, and my own real estate company, buying property on my own, clearing land and putting a mobile home to rent out, and managing homes are all risks I’ve taken solo. There are so many risks I’ve taken, call me a dare-devil, but it makes life so much more exciting.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.krishentertainment.com
- Instagram: @krishentertainment | @officialkrish
- Facebook: @officiallykrish | @officialkrish
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBvj_f177F_9q8XX46H5Uow?view_as=public
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/krishentertainment
Image Credits
NSPG Media (Picture with all black attire, microphone up to my mouth, right facing image with right hand out pointing to left with white background/gold door handle.)
Krishan Badal for the rest of the pictures.
