“Last time he was in Barcelona, he calls me and says, ‘Do you want to have a coffee?'”
Ivan Gomez still sounds a little incredulous when reflecting on the friendship he developed with Peter Rauhofer. And no wonder: Rauhofer, the legendary Austrian-born dance music DJ/producer, was the Spaniard’s biggest and earliest musical influence.
“[He] inspired me,” Gomez says. “I remember buying his remixes as a teenager.” A transformative, Grammy-winning remixer, Rauhofer was also a preeminent figure in gay clubland — and a regular at D.C.’s Cherry — until 2013, the year he tragically died of a brain tumor at the age of 48.
More than just developing a friendship with Rauhofer, the 38-year-old Gomez is now poised to take up his mantle. In addition to prominent remix work for Cher, the Pet Shop Boys and Leann Rimes, Gomez has launched a label modeled after Rauhofer’s influential Star 69 Records. Edgier and more aggressive than the typical dance-pop mainstream, Guareber Recordings offers deeper dives into the club music sound, with minimal, provocative, often androgynous vocals. The goal, says Gomez, is to “become the favorite LGBT (and straight-friendly) label [for] every major DJ and fan around the world.”
Guareber Recordings is based in Barcelona, where Gomez was born, raised and still resides — just a few minutes from his mother, who Gomez came out to when he was 21, a year after his father died of cancer. “I told my mom at Christmas,” he says. “She started to cry for five minutes — and then it was okay.” It took her longer to accept his career as a DJ, which started when he was only 18, than to accept his sexuality. “My father said, ‘It’s okay, do what you want.’ But my mother, she thought I should look for a normal job and didn’t understand.” Now, though, she’s at least bemused by a career that, over the past decade in particular, has him spinning at parties around the globe. “She’s always calling me and asking, ‘Where are you now?'” Gomez laughs.
It’s a valid question, as his location can change daily. He’s in the U.S. and Puerto Rico over the next month, but there’s hardly any let up in his schedule until the fall. “I only have two weekends free between now and September,” he says. Gomez, who will make his Washington, D.C., debut at Cherry’s main event on Saturday night, plans to explore the nation’s capital all weekend. “If someone in Washington wants a date,” he says, “I’ll be free.”
Ivan Gomez headlines Cherry’s “Royalty” event on Saturday, April 22, starting with an opening DJ set by Kenneth Rivera at 10 p.m., at Town Danceboutique, 2009 8th St. NW. Tickets are $20, with various passes available for the full weekend of events. Call 571-308-6568 or visit cherrydc.com.
The 2024 Grammys were one of the most exciting ceremonies in recent memory. From the performances to the winners, it was all fun, top-notch, and just… right.
One of the top winners of the evening even managed to score a big laugh during one of her speeches by admitting that she may have forgotten something very important.
Miley Cyrus was named the Record of the Year Grammy winner for her single “Flowers.”
The tune was expected to come out on top by many, as it was one of the past year's biggest and most critically applauded tracks. During her time on stage, the singer bounced between heartfelt and joking, with one comment standing out as particularly funny.
Beyoncé is already one of the biggest stars in the music industry – and not just of the moment, either. The superstar has been a force in the business for decades, but even she can find new avenues to explore and manage feats she’s never accomplished.
The singer has been making history on the Billboard charts for two weeks with her latest smash, which has become an important win for more than just this one chart-topper.
Last week, Beyoncé’s new single “Texas Hold 'Em” debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. As the tune arrived in first place, she became the first Black woman to rule the most important country chart managed by the company. That’s right – it took until 2024 for a Black female artist to score the No. 1 country song in America.
Diplo is one of the most successful and imaginative artists in the electronic music genre.
He’s scored countless hits, changed the course of dance music, and won a handful of Grammys. Throughout his years as a superstar, he’s also been somewhat ambiguous when it comes to his sexuality, but not in a cagey way – he simply seems happy to be flirtatious and have fun with anyone and everyone.
Recently, Diplo posted a carousel of images and videos from his time in Los Angeles for Grammy week. This isn’t unusual for a musician of his caliber, but what he chose to do with his time – and what he said about it – did raise plenty of eyebrows, especially in the LGBTQ community.
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