DURING the early 2000s, the world became addicted to catchy synth-pop track Dragostea din tei (aka the Numa Numa Song).
The track topped the charts in 10 countries, and remains to this day one of the biggest selling singles of all time – whether you love it or hate it.
The band shot to fame with their hit single in 2004[/caption]
The band reunited in 2017 but have moved on to more rock-inspired work[/caption]
Even Rhianna couldn’t resist the catchy track, sampling it on Live Your Life[/caption]
It also turned boyband OZone into international megastars, with Moldovan trio Dan Bălan, Radu Sîrbu, and Arsenie Todiraș touring the world with the hit.
Performed in Romanian, Dragostea din tei (which roughly translates to Love from the Linden Tree) is a song of a man remembering a lost love.
Taking inspiration from Europop and synth tracks from the 80s, the infectious song is distinctive from its “Ma-ya-hi, ma-ya-hoo” introduction.
In 2005, the song won the Echo Music Prize for Single of the Year in Germany, and has since been certified diamond in Japan, with 12million singles sold throughout the world.
In fact, it became so catchy that TI and Rihanna later used it to open the dance track, Live Your Life, in 2008 with the song appearing in movies including The Hangover.
The success was a long time coming for the band, with the single leading the release of their third album.
Unfortunately it would be their only hit, with the group splitting in 2004, shortly after the song grew international acclaim.
Fast forward 21 years later, and the men are still performing – albeit in different ways
Despite the break-up, the trio have all gone on to solo projects, with Arsenie later representing Romania in Eurovision in 2006 and still releasing new music, now under the name Atika Patum.
Dan, who also produced their albums, also became a solo artist, launching projects that are more experimental in sound and ranging from rock and metal music to classic pop.
He also sings in multiple languages, including Spanish, Romanian and English, and has found particular success in Ukraine, using his platform to raise awareness for the country and becoming a guest on The Voice.
Radu has become a producer, working under the name the Wild Rose Project, and managed to crack the UK charts in 2014 with Liza song Dynamite.
In 2017, the band briefly reunited, performing two concerts together, and have since made brief appearances together at festivals.
They will next appear in Madrid for Super Noventuros in March.
The song remains one of the most successful singles of all time across the world[/caption]
Dan Balan has found success in Ukraine, even appearing as a guest on their version of The Voice[/caption]
