Ello Piedra

North Central Florida’s Premier Entertainer

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Elio is North Central Florida’s premier entertainer. No matter what kind of event you’re having, Elio brings the fiesta to you! He is passionate about creating experiences for people to dance, laugh, and let loose. He doesn’t want to give the message; he wants to be the message.

 

Elio began entertaining at 9 years old in Pinas del Rio, Cuba, where he specialized in percussion and playing the piano. At age 19, he emigrated to the US and landed in Gainesville, Florida, without money, a car, or the ability to speak English. He washed dishes at a restaurant in order to get by. After a year and a half of working at a restaurant, he entered the world of entertainment by teaching students percussion and drums at Ancient Rhythms drum shop. At this point, Elio began to invest aggressively in his entertainment company, working with big names like Jennifer Holiday and Chichito Valdez early on to help grow his brand.

“I always wanted to make sure my brand encompassed all genres of music, not just Latin music,” Elio says. “I didn’t want to limit my chances of bringing a great experience to an event. “The only thing that I am afraid of is that I am not afraid of anything.” The concept of fine-tuning his brand was one Elio learned from his mentor Freddie Wehbe, whom he met in 2017. Over time, people started to recognize Elio Piedra.

 

Today, Elio is one of the top entertainers of Gainesville, putting on shows for organizations like the Gainesville Country Club, Mi Apa, Gainesville Chevrolet, Arch Management Associates, Bridge Management AMC, Hard Rock Cafe, Bahama Breeze, Florida Bridal Expo, and more. He’s collaborated with over 10 Grammy Award–winning artists, and his talent has taken him to 20 different US states. “I hate the concept of killing time,” Elio says. “We like to keep the thermostat at our events all the way up. We’ve been blessed to work with over 25 companies from all over the US over the last 2 years, including radio stations, magazines, universities, and more from North Carolina to New York, Georgia to Florida, and many others.”

Now that people are more aware of the value that Elio brings to their events and businesses, Elio’s projects are only expanding. Recently, he launched Morning Coffee with ELIO, a weekly morning television show with the mission of inspiring others to live their dreams, not their fears. On the show, Elio’s participants share incredible stories of success and struggles in life. The show also promotes local and national businesses, helping them to expand and grow their brand.

 

“The Elio Piedra brand is just a case study of what we can do for your brand,” Elio says. “We now have Platinum, Gold, and Silver sponsors that benefit from being on our ads, radio shows, website, podcast, and our live entertainment events!” But at the heart of Elio’s success—beyond even the energy and investment into equipment and technology—is his love and respect for others. At his events’ end, no matter how tired he may feel, he is always committed to making sure everyone leaves feeling they had a great time.

“People can feel the energy mixed with the passion I have,” Elio says. “I’m passionate about this and I think it’s impossible to fake that. I want to bring the best entertainment experience that I can to each event.”

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