MDA Grooves

MDA Grooves is a prolific, Dutch-Portuguese producer and the driving creative force behind Universo Positivo, the Lisbon-and-Amsterdam label. Emerging from Joseph Salvador's original Amsterdam-based TINK! Records, MDA Grooves became one of Universo Positivo's cornerstone artists from the label's earliest days, releasing a steady stream of EPs that fuse Latin house with Afro, salsa, cumbia and disco influences.

Sound and approach

MDA Grooves is built on Afro, Latin American and Brazilian musical genres with lots of percussion as his primary language — hand drums, whistles, bird calls and carnival rhythms recur throughout his catalogue — layered with samplers, synths and drum machines to create a warm, analogue-textured sound. He collaborates with musicians and vocalists from Brazil and Ghana, including Rio de Janeiro-born singer Lilian Vieira and Ghanaian highlife artist "Sloopy" Mike Gyamfi, lending his records an authenticity rooted in the traditions he draws from.

Key releases on Universo Positivo

• 'One Good Day' (debut single, released in the label's first year) — a joyous, inclusivity-themed cut released in four versions, including an Afro Mix and a darker retouch by Dutch techno pioneer Orlando Voorn.

• 'Batucada Lounge' (sophomore EP) — closing with an "Underground Carnaval Mix" evoking Rio's carnival after dark, alongside another Orlando Voorn remix.

• Sabrosa' — a dedicated Latin house release channeling Salsa and Cumbia energy across three cuts ('Loca Beach Party,' 'Esta Loca Social Club' and 'Loca Hotel Lounge Party'), built on fiery horns, rolling congas and deep basslines.

• 'Songs of Alkebulan' — a deeper turn toward Afro-electronic sound, named for Alkebulan, an ancestral name for Africa. The four-track EP presents two works in dual mixes — 'I Am Because We Are' (Night Mix/Day Mix) and 'Roots In The Sky' (Moon Mix/Sun Mix) — pairing tribal percussion and hand drums with cosmic, atmospheric synth textures for both introspective listening and dancefloor use.

• Sonido Latino' EP — summer-ready Latin house heaters blending Cumbia, accordion, flute and Spanish vocals. Later remixed by Kai Alcé and charted nr. 1 on Traxsource Soulful House charts.

• 'Liambada Party' EP — featuring 'Muamba,' 'Gazelle' and 'I Want You,' drawing on Angolan-rooted terminology and Afrobeat rhythms.

• 'Carioca Bounce' EP featuring 'Ipanema Jazz' / 'Que Beleza' / 'Carioca Bounce' — a jazz-and-samba-inflected set showcasing trumpet lines and carnival energy. Later remixed by Sean McCabe reaching dozens of DJ;s charts and #1 on Traxsource Top 100.

• America Libre featuring 'Mi Corazon,' 'Radio BC Sur,' 'Somos Como Una Flor' and 'Esta Noche Es Loca' — moving from swooning deep house into cumbia and late-night Spanish-vocal flex.

• 'Riomantic' EP, including 'Cristo Rei' and 'Caparica Sunset,' the latter later remixed by JKriv for Universo Positivo's fourth vinyl release.

• 'Brazuca Chic' EP — featuring 'Rio de Janeiro O Ano Inteiro' and 'Caipira Da Caparica,' blending MPB, salsa and Afro-Brazilian percussion.

Legacy

Across dozens of tracks, MDA Grooves has become synonymous with Universo Positivo's identity — a label built on refined, globally-minded house music. His catalogue forms what has been described as a musical travelogue, moving fluidly between continents and genres while maintaining a consistent commitment to live percussion, cultural authenticity and dancefloor sophistication.