"Thank you for allowing me to be me, thank you to my fellow artists, many of whom have become some of my closest friends, thank you for the memories.  Most importantly: thank you to my fans. Carnage, 2008-2022"  

Cercle and W Hotels invite Gordo to travel back in time.
Learn how and why, after a 14-year career, Gordo retired from Carnage - his previous alias - to become the artist we know today.


ABOUT GORDO
Diamante Anthony Blackmon has already helped to define a global musical movement. But now he's doing it again: Gordo is a new house music alias from the artist previously known as Carnage. More than that, it is a new way of life and a new way of thinking for Diamante. Brought on by time spent reflecting during the pandemic, Blackmon now has a new approach to life that he is fulfilling through Gordo. He is working out regularly, eating healthily, and cutting a fine figure with a big smile. With this renewed sense of energy comes his essential new house sound. It is a passionate, heartfelt new beginning for Gordo that will redefine house music for the next generation.

This fresh energy shines through in Gordo’s live sets as he sets himself apart, providing an all-new sound and experience for fans and concertgoers around the world. Off to a quick start, his world tour has seen him perform at iconic venues such as Hï Ibiza, Green Valley, Shalvata Tel Aviv, Lollapalooza, Fiction Canberra, Savaya Bali, and more. Meanwhile, Gordo continues to curate his own event series; TARAKA, a brand that has been taking over the world, popping up in places like Chile, San Francisco, Miami, Tulum, Mykonos, Medellin, Amsterdam, Acapulco, New York, Bulgaria, and Detroit. Thousands of visitors all over the world have already experienced the events’ authentic block party feeling, featuring extended sets, surprise guests, handpicked line-ups by Gordo himself, and raw minimal production.

Ever since Diamante entered the dance music scene, he’s been educating himself and those around him, inspiring a new sound and a new movement. His quest for this new sound has led to releases such as 'KTM', which became an instant Top 10 hit on the Beatport Main Chart, TARAKA, which was named after his own event series, the techno-infused speaker-rattling ‘Leaving Earth’ with KAS:ST, the widely acclaimed ‘RIZZLA’; Gordo’s first release with The Martinez Brothers, and house anthem ‘R U 4REAL’. Already having established his name among dance music enthusiasts, Diamante solidified his name as Gordo as he broke ground with 6 production on Drake’s latest dance-infused album ‘Honestly Nevermind’ and got crowned #1 producer on Billboard’s Hot 100 producers and #1 Hispanic DJ in the DJ Mag Top 100.

His releases ‘Hombres y Mujeres’ alongside Colombian superstar FEID and ‘El Mas Chingon’ with Dominican heavyweight El Alfa as well as his numerous sold-out gigs in Latin America show Gordo’s return to his Hispanic roots. The Nicaraguan DJ/producer honors his heritage beyond music though, as he’s fully committed to helping build schools and education centers in Nicaragua as well as his birth country of Guatemala, with the latest having opened its doors in February 2023 in Guatemala’s Nuevo Eden.

Blackmon has never been afraid to step into the unknown, and moving away from the hard-hitting, aggressive Carnage sound is certainly doing that. But so was the mid-pandemic life change that saw him move to Hawaii and install his grandma as his full-time roommate. Diamanté's childhood was also full of challenges as he grew up in Guatemala with his aunt and mother. At the age of 10, he moved back to the United States although speaking very little English and with almost no money to his name. He struggled to fit in initially, but he made it work and eventually became one of the most recognizable electronic artists in the world. It is those memories of his early struggles that motivated him to build schools in Nicaragua and Guatemala. They are his way of using his platform to raise awareness of the other people's struggles.

Though Blackmon has been on and off the road headlining a variety of festivals and clubs around the world, while topping global dance charts and making super-sized sounds for massive crowds, he is also a reflective person. This new project is about educating younger fans who might not know about the roots of house music. Blackmon has understood them since well before he was a world-renowned artist when he would regularly dance to proper house and tech at Ibiza's most famous underground clubs. Now he is drawing on that passion and understanding and taking music in a new direction.

After years of self-discovery, Gordo is now Blackmon's whole world. It has liberated him and given him the confidence to unleash the sounds that have been deep in his heart for years. From here it is all about making the music he wants to. No going back.


ABOUT FRANK MCWEENY
This event will be moderated by Franck McWeeny, a broadcaster digging beyond the crates, joining the dots behind the dots, and navigating music’s rich narrative. For Frank McWeeny being a broadcaster and DJ is much more than just playing records. It’s about telling the tales around the sounds, celebrating real scenes, cultures, and movements...and sharing his findings with us.


ABOUT SARAH STORY
Sarah Story has always had her eye on the prize. This plucky young broadcaster, DJ, and singer-songwriter has always known who she is and precisely where she’s wanted to be. Her Friday night spot on Radio 1 has given her the platform to be able to support artists old and new and champion more female artists and non-binary people, something that’s extremely important to her. With the ever-evolving music scene and a constant new stream of artists, Sarah feels honored to be at the forefront of that as a new voice on Radio 1, that gets to champion them on national radio every Friday night.