Get to Know Yaya With 5 Essential Tracks
Yaya was born in Turin, Italy with African roots, and grew up absorbing his father's music, who was percussionist and lead singer of the M'bamina ensemble. Yaya followed in his talented father's footsteps, and performed as a drummer around Turin. He brings his love for energetic percussion into his productions and DJ sets, and serves up a global melting pot of African and Latin rhythms with European minimal tech house.
Loco Dice has been a fan of Yaya since 2009, and has dropped his tunes on he and Martin Buttrich's Desolat label. Yaya is a regular in Ibiza, Barcelona, London, Berlin, and at BPM Festivals. He's made select stops stateside over the years, with shows at Space Miami and in Chicago last year, but is still pretty under-the-radar in The States. We're sure his sound is sure to pop off hard over here; a bouncy, energizing dose of techy yet smooth grooves apt to get the party started, day or night.
Read on to get to now Yaya's sound through five of his essential tunes.
1. Yaya - Candyman
This year, Yaya made his debut on elrow Music with their first release of 2023, the Straight To The Point EP. As elrow explained: the "third track of the EP is 'Candyman,' [with an] organic arpeggiated bassline, clean sounds and a sexy groove. A fresh start for a new year!" Facts! It's fun, infectious and feels like a party, just like candy! The title track is also a groover, and the EP serves up a De La Swing Remix of it.
2. Neverdogs, Yaya - You Don't Know
"You Don't Know" is a collab with Italian duo Neverdogs, released by Kaluki Musik in 2022. It sounds like a pool party or day-time rave, with a driving, bubbling bassline and laid-back energy. It's an inviting, sunny, and snappy tune at just under three-and-a-half minutes, although luckily the EP features a remix from Leed's and extended mixes of the original and remix.
3. Yaya - Magma
There's always something rather satisfying about a name that aptly and fittingly describes something. Yaya's "Magma" is just that: hot, bubbling, smooth and fiery. It's propelled by a great percussive drum loop—a Yaya speciality. It dropped last year and is the debut release on TwoAndThree Records.
4. Yaya, Jholeyson - La Combinacion
"La Combinacion" is an infectious Tulum jungle rave-ready tech house heater. It's a collab with Colombian producer Jholeyson, featuring fun, pitched up vocals in Spanish and a Latin-infused rhythm. Solardo dropped it on their UK-based Sola Nauts label in 2021. The B-side, "Costa Rica," is a fitting continuation of the jungle rave vibe.
5. Yaya - Black Mamba
The stellar tune "Black Mamba" sits halfway through Yaya's 2019 debut album, You Decide, which he self-released on his Tomango Records in December 2019. "Black Mamba" is perfect, with some excellent drums and other percussive loops, a chilled-yet-vibey beat and great sunshiny, spacey energy. He In 2021 he delivered a remix package of the album, led by a stellar, trippy remix of "Black Mamba" from Loco Dice.
