When Mozambican DJ and super-producer Tarico concocted a particularly lively beat one day, little did he know how drastically it would alter his life and that of his two companions.
Inspired by the sound of coins jangling in a pocket, songwriter and vocalist Nelson Tivane coined the phrase “Yaba Buluku.”
With his gravelly, powerful voice, Preck belted out the lyric, turning it into an instant hit.
“After we concluded the song we went to a rural zone and we put a car with a big sound there, and we connected the song on the car and we saw many people dancing and ask ‘Who is the owner of this song?’ Then we knew this song was going to be big!”Tarico recalls, chuckling.
None other than the African Giant, Burna Boy, realized the strength of Yaba Buluku and jumped on the remix, a move which had a massive impact on Tarico, Tivane and Preck.
“We were travelling all over Africa. Too many big artists were asking us for features. People started to know our faces outside of Mozambique. We became internationals,” says Nelson.
“And money! I bought a car, land, and a house for my mother,” adds Preck.
Now calling themselves Yaba Buluku Boyz, the trio dropped their first album, Donsa, on Friday.
Like the original hit, it is a high-energy, danceable amapiano, and features big African names including Ghana’s dancehall king Shatta Wale, Timaya from Nigeria, and Harmonize from Tanzania.
“Music for us is coming out naturally, it’s an organic thing,” says Tivane,
“When Tarico is done with the beat, he shows the boys and we start to exchange ideas. When we get to the studio, it is magical, we feel the energy. I love all the songs on the album.”