Tarico, a Mozambican DJ and super-producer, had no idea how his invention of a particularly upbeat beat would affect not just his own life but also the lives of his two friends.
The sound of coins jangling in a pocket served as the inspiration for the song “Yaba Buluku,” which was written by one of those friends, songwriter, and vocalist Nelson Tivane.
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With his gravelly, powerful voice, the other friend, Preck, belted out that line. That became popular right away.
“We ended the song and then drove to a remote area with a loud car. We connected the music to the vehicle and observed a large number of people dancing and enquiring, ‘Who is the owner of this song?'” At that point, we were certain that this song would become extremely popular.” With a laugh, Tarico remembers.
The remix was quickly adopted by Tarico, Tivane, and Preck after none other than the African Giant, Burna Boy, realised the potential of Yaba Buluku.
“We travelled the entire continent of Africa. We were being asked to feature far too many well-known artists. Our faces became recognisable to people outside of Mozambique. Nelson says, “We went global.”
Plus cash! According to Preck, “I bought my mother a house, a car, and some land.”
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The three released their debut album, Donsa, on Friday and are now known as Yaba Buluku Boyz.
Similar to the original hit, it is a high-energy, danceable amapiano with prominent African names, such as Tanzanian Harmonise, Nigerian Timaya, and Ghanaian dancehall king Shatta Wale.
Tivane says, “Music is something that comes out naturally for us; it is an organic thing.”
We start exchanging ideas after Tarico finishes the beat and shows the boys. It is magical when we arrive at the studio; the energy is palpable. I adore every song on the album.”
