DJ Tarico’s peculiar, genre-merging sound put him at the vanguard of popular Mozambican music in the 2010s. Born Tárico Caifaz Samuel Simbine in 1993 in Maputo, Mozambique, the producer got his professional start in his early 20s crafting fast-paced, syncopated anthems as a member of the Afro-house trio Afro Madjaha. In 2020, Tarico announced himself as a solo force with the release of Moz Piano, which fused his past styles, the Indigenous music of his home country, and the South African house offshoot amapiano. He quickly followed that record up with Moz Piano Vol.2, whose throbbing, chant-filled highlight “Yaba Buluku,” as well as its Burna Boy-assisted remix, helped elevate him to global recognition.