El Retiro / Party

Voted one of the Top 100 Afrohouse Artists by Traxsource and working in the dance music industry for over 30 years, Adam Gibbons is known globally for his energetic sets that explore the intersection of Afro-Latin rhythms and house music. Adam has played multiple styles of dance music over the years, and his talents have taken him to share his love of music globally. From sunrise at Burning Man, to sunset boat parties on the Adriatic Sea, it is apparent that he lives for what he does. In 2004, he started focusing on a more organic Afro-Latin sound. In 2008, he launched the dance party ‘Uhuru Afrika’ to create a space to explore this sound that years later has become known as ‘Afro House’, and for which he is recognized as a pioneer. Notable moments from that party include working with DJs Oscar P, Stan Zeff and Marques Wyatt to bring Black Coffee to the US for his first US Tour in 2010 and subsequently working to expose the US to other notable African artists such as Culoe De Song of South Africa, DJeff of Angola and Boddhi Satva of DRC. He studied two different modalities of West African hand percussion and has travelled to eight African countries for a deeper connection to the music he plays with his Uhuru Afrika project.

I’m Wei-Ling Gil, a yoga teacher, holistic wellness facilitator, and creator of Balance Elemental. I deeply believe that our bodies hold a wisdom we often forget to listen to, and that when we learn to return to the body — through movement, breath, silence, sound, and presence — we also begin to return to ourselves. My work comes from this place: creating experiences that allow us to step away from the noise of the outside world for a moment, feel more deeply, and remember who we are when we are truly present. Over the years, I have integrated practices such as yoga, meditation, conscious breathing, emotional awareness, mindset work, energy work, and expanded consciousness, always with a very human and grounded approach. I don’t see wellness as something that happens only on a yoga mat; to me, it lives in the way we breathe, nourish ourselves, move our bodies, navigate our emotions, care for our energy, and choose to live each day. I’m passionate about creating spaces where these practices stop being concepts and become experiences that can actually be felt in the body. I create gatherings, workshops, and retreats that invite us to reconnect with our essence and live with greater intention, freedom, and vitality. I’m especially inspired by the way music, movement, and shared energy can transform a moment and open spaces within us that words cannot always reach. During this retreat, I’ll be sharing yoga and meditation as an invitation to do exactly that: breathe, move, listen, feel… and allow ourselves to be fully present, experiencing everything from within.

Nickodemus is a traveler at heart—a connecter of worlds, scenes, and people since the late-90s. Over his extensive career as a touring DJ and producer, including four albums and canonical tunes like “My Swing es Tropical” and “Cleopatra in New York”, he’s helped pave the way for an inimitable mix of global fusion and the heavy beats we yearn for in the club. His music has long thrived on the close relationships and mutual respect of friends he’s built across the continents, felt through the worldly potions he cooks up in the studio, and spanning electronic sounds rooted in Latin, African, and Eastern instrumentation. His latest album, A Long Engagement, serves as a culmination of the inspirations he’s absorbed and remains rooted in his life as native New Yorker and the city’s nostalgic energy. Nickodemus’ sound is often focused on the connective tissue of his many live collaborations and the electronic solitude of his studio (or record-filled bubble, as he calls it). Through his much-loved label Wonderwheel Recordings, he’s not only regularly releasing some of the most soul-shaking, eclectic sounds in the biz, but focusing deeply on artist development and creating long-lasting moments that live on far longer than their track length. The music you hear in his releases are filled with expression, reflection, and care; they’re both open-minded and deeply focused, a rarity at time in today’s overcrowded music industry. As a remixer, he’s also lent his “Remix Machine” to a wide range of artists including pioneers like Bob Marley and Nina Simone, as well as other like minded genre-welders like Thievery Corporation, Quantic, Natasha Atlas and Mr. Scruff. Throughout his career he’s also carved an important niche in the live music scene with his beloved Turntables on the Hudson parties, that have popped up everywhere from New York to Cairo. Currently on tour around Latin America, Europe, Africa & USA, Nickodemus’ latest expression is another portrait into the importance of shared ideas and the dialogue artists can share. It’s another bass-heavy global party and we’re all invited.

I’m Alexia, a bodywork therapist and Sound Healing facilitator specializing in wellness experiences focused on nervous system regulation. I create experiences that combine sound, breathwork, somatic movement, and bodywork to help people relax, reconnect with their bodies, and release tension. I also facilitate workshops and group sessions for retreats, creating spaces for connection, calm, and presence.

Based in Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic, Francis Matias is a DJ and music producer known for his deep, hypnotic, and soulful sound that bridges House, Deep House, Minimal, and Electro. His sets invite listeners into a journey where rhythm, emotion, and atmosphere blend seamlessly to create an immersive dance experience. Francis began his creative path as an audiovisual artist, filmmaker, and photographer working with DJs and events across the Dominican Republic. Capturing the emotion of each track and the energy of people on the dance floor inspired him to learn the art of DJing and eventually create his own sonic experiences. What started behind the camera evolved into a passion for sound — shaping moments that connect music, people, and feeling. A resident DJ at El Loro Restaurant (Las Terrenas), Francis has become a key figure in the local electronic music scene. His performances have brought energy and connection to stages across the island, including ONNO’s Zona Colonial, Hidden, Mosquito Beach Club Bonita (Las Terrenas), Nagai, and Totem Restaurant, among others. Inspired by artists such as DJ Francisco Perez (C.I.S.C.O.), Leonardo Camilo, Daniel Azor, NULL, Max Brachais, and others amazing DJ around the world!, Francis continues to evolve his sound with a focus on groove, depth, and emotional resonance. From intimate sunset sessions to late-night dance floors, Francis Matias delivers an experience that’s not just heard — it’s felt.

Born and raised in Boston, Kikipó's love of dance music stems from before she was old enough for the raves. She's been gracing dancefloors from LA, NYC to Berlin, and many places in between, since the age of 17 and has been deeply shaped and healed by these ecstatic journeys. A decade later, she got behind the decks for the first time. Influenced by her Dominican roots and centering sounds from the Afro-Caribbean diaspora, she creates rhythmic sets that inspire you to move.

TAïF is a DJ and experience curator based in the Dominican Republic. Born in Suriname, raised in Europe and now living in the Caribbean, his sound is a mix of Afro, Latin, electronic, hip-hop and global rhythms. His sets are deep, soulful and rhythmic, moving between different sounds and energies without being tied to one genre. For TAïF, it’s less about fitting into a scene and more about creating a feeling. It’s about bringing people together, making them move, and taking them somewhere for a moment. Freedom is the Direction.