O-Zone

This Moldova-rooted Eurodance trio originated in 1999 under the guidance of Dan Balan, professionally known as Duke and born on 6 February 1979 in Chisinau, Moldovan SSR. His path into music first took shape as the songwriter and keyboardist for the doom metal outfit Inferialis, after which he joined forces with Petru Jelihovski to establish O-Zone. The pair notched several hit singles across Moldova, yet the partnership dissolved once Jelihovski described the project as nothing more than a personal hobby. Balan then brought aboard Radu Sârbu, who performs as Picasso and was born on 14 December 1978 in Peresecina, Moldovan SSR, along with Arsenie Todiras, known onstage as Arsenium and born on 22 July 1983 in Chisinau, Moldovan SSR.

O-Zone achieved widespread recognition through their breakout single “Dragostea Din Tei,” alternately titled “Mai Ai Hee” or “The Numa Numa Song.” The Romanian phrase translates as “Love Of The Linden Tree,” an allusion to the poetry of Mihai Eminescu. The track climbed to number 1 in 32 countries and surpassed 12 million copies sold internationally, while more than 100 artists have since recorded versions in 12 languages. Its reach extended online when American Gary Brolsma uploaded a webcam clip of himself lip-syncing and dancing to the song, generating one of the most-viewed videos in internet history and securing Brolsma guest spots on American programs including The Tonight Show.

The group’s next release, “Despre Tine,” earned positive notices yet failed to match the scale of its predecessor. The album tied to that single nevertheless enjoyed broad commercial traction. By 2005 the members opted to disband and pursue individual paths. Sârbu and Todiras each built moderately successful solo careers throughout Europe, while Balan settled in Los Angeles, California, USA, to develop a rock-oriented solo venture and cut a record under the supervision of producer Jack Joseph Puig.