From: Nicaragua

DJ style: “Latin and tech-house.”

Best known for: “‘Hombres y Mujeres’ with FEID, ‘El Mas Chingon’ with El Alfa, and ‘Parcera’ with Maluma.”
 

“2023 has been insane,” says Diamanté Anthony Blackmon, who is now exclusively known as Gordo and is synonymous with a fiery combination of his Latin roots and big room house and techno. He has played both Coachella weekends, done eight-hour sets at the Brooklyn Mirage and ADE, sold 20,000 tickets in Spain alone over the summer and 12,000 tickets in Chile one recent weekend, and has grown his TARAKA brand into a world-renowned event series.

There has been new music too — from house on ‘R U 4REAL’ to more Latin-leaning fare on ‘Parcera’ via all new and electrifying grooves on ‘With You’ with Adriatique. Arguably more important than all that is that he opened the doors to his third learning centre in Central America. EDIFICIO TARAKA opened its doors in Nuevo Eden, Guatemala and is Gordo's way of “giving back to the community that gave me so much while I was growing up there. I’m super excited about giving these people a better future and supporting them from the sidelines.”

Next up is an album which he has already been road-testing to great effect. “It pushes the needle and breaks so many boundaries,” he says. 
 

Hero of 2023: “My grandmother. She turned 90 this year.”

Fave tune of 2023: “Darude ‘Sandstorm’.”

Best DJ set you’ve seen in 2023: “Keinemusik at Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival.”

What was the most exciting tech development of 2023? “Bluetooth connection on commercial planes because as a DJ you travel a lot, and wired headphones aren’t as good.”

Rising star DJ/producer of 2023: “NOYA.”

What gives you hope for 2024? “I’m releasing my debut album soon, so that’ll be huge. It features sounds you’ve never heard from me before, and it is some of the best work I’ve done ever, so that gives me hope.”