In a scene where Afro house has increasingly leaned toward commercial appeal, Portuguese DJ and producer MAMöro is charting a different course. Now based in Madrid after leaving behind Lisbon’s vanished club scene, he’s carved out a distinctive identity in the underground with his darker, more dramatic Afro tech sound. With a technical mastery that sees him juggling four CDJ-3000s simultaneously, layering loops, acapellas, and live mashups in real-time, MAMöro creates unpredictable journeys on the dancefloor that defy expectations. His recent “Thandaza EP” on Afrosteria, featuring South African vocalist S.A.N.E., showcases the depth and emotional range that’s earned him a dedicated following across Europe.
In this conversation, MAMöro opens up about why he abandoned Portugal for Spain, his shift from Afro house to Afro tech, the viral success of his Adriatique edit, and why today’s aspiring DJs need to master marketing before they master mixing. This is an artist who refuses to play it safe—and his music proves it.
1. You’re representing Lisbon – can you paint a picture of what the electronic music scene is like there right now? What specific opportunities do you see for Afro house in Portugal’s electronic music landscape, and how is the local audience responding to your sound?
Unfortunately, Lisbon is not the best reference for the electronic music genre. All the nightclubs have simply vanished, and all remaining clubs play reggaeton and funk music, targeting mainly the young crowds. As for Afro House opportunities, they are slim to none. The only thing that still works in Portugal are the summer festivals, like Brunch Electronic, Moga, Neopop etc. This is the main reason why I left Portugal, and now I am currently based in Madrid. Anyway, I was able to build a good and solid fan base there with both my style of playing and music production.
2. Lisbon has seen a massive influx of expats and international residents in recent years. How has this cultural shift affected the city’s nightlife and music scene?
That is all due to 3 main factors: life quality, tax benefits and strategic location. There is no night-life in Lisbon.
3. You’ve been DJing for over 10 years – take us back to the beginning. What drew you to electronic music initially, and how did you discover your passion for Afro house? Can you walk us through the key moments or experiences that shaped your evolution into the “Afro Tech DJ” you identify as today?
I was a DJ back in the day when I was very young, and I played house music. Then, at the age of 23, I left and went back to it in the pandemic. At the time, Afro House was my thing, so when I went back to it, it would only make sense to do it with music that meant something to me, so this way I could go on the decks and tell stories through my music sets. In my opinion, the music scene have never been as dynamic as it is now. You produce a track today and 3–6 months from that it can be outdated. And that is what happened with Afro House in these past years. It became very pop/commercial which is something that I personally don’t identify myself with. As an underground-style DJ, when I go to clubs, I like to be surprised. I don’t want to hear music that I listen on my car’s radio while I am driving. And that made me switch from Afro House to Afro Tech, a more underground style with more dramatic baselines and darker grooves.
4. You have a 3-4 deck CDJ setup with loops, mashups, and live vocals. Can you break down your technical approach for our audience? What’s your philosophy when it comes to fusing Afro tech with these live elements, and how do you create those unique “musical experiences like no other” during your sets?
4 x CDJ 3000 and 1 x V10. That’s my TEC rider.
I use 2 decks to mix tracks: 1 to loop sections from other tracks and 1 for acapellas, which I use a lot. To break it down, 1 will be playing the main track, 2 will be playing the upcoming track, 3 will be playing a loop section from some track and 4 will be playing an acappella. Sometimes I have the 4 decks playing. People can hear a song, and they think they know what’s coming, and then they get surprised by different elements thrown in there taking it to a different direction.
5. Let’s talk about your edit of Adriatique & Bipolar Sunshine’s “Love’s A Game.” What drew you to rework this particular track, and can you walk us through your creative process for transforming it into a “deeper, more driving club weapon”? What has been the response to the edit so far?
My first edit was All the Love by Whomadewho & Everything is Art. People went crazy with that one. I was getting DM’s every single day from fellow DJs asking for the track, then when Adriatique released” Love’s a Game “, I got hooked on the vocals and thought to myself,“ This is way to good for sure somebody will remix it?“ So why not be the first to do it? The idea was to do a more club-driven version with my own signature style without losing the melodic traces. The response to it was as big if not bigger than all the love. I get lots of messages requesting the track, but unfortunately, I cant just send it to anybody and everybody, or I will lose the exclusive thing to it.
6. Your “Thandaza EP” on Afrosteria showcases incredible range across three tracks. Can you take us through each track’s creation, especially the collaboration with South African vocalist S.A.N.E. on the title track?
So I was in one of those studio sprees and made these 3 tracks in the same week not intending to make an EP out of them. After getting the beats finished, I started looking for singers to put vocals on them and this is every music producer’s biggest challenge. After trying it out with some singers, I kept only the collab with SANE as she was the only one capable of doing a very beautiful and precise melody. The track with SANE ends up being so good that I decided to combine them with the other 2 and make an EP so this way the track with her would help carry the other 2. At the end the strategy paid off.
7. Your “Thandaza EP” is on Afrosteria – how important are label relationships in your career, and what drew you to work with them?
Nico is undoubtedly a major figure in my career. Back when I did my first release on DIYS, he took the time to explain to me a few things, put me in the right direction and introduced me to people. Since then, we have built a really nice and solid relationship, and he is one of those people who I like to call friend.
8. As technology evolves rapidly, what’s your perspective on AI in music production and DJing? Have you experimented with AI tools in your creative process, and where do you see the balance between technological innovation and authentic human creativity in Afro house music?
I have been asked this before. I saw a video by Alex Tripi regarding a search made by Microsoft about AI and the conclusion couldn’t be more clear. Music is a very human/physical/personal thing and if you produce music you know the thrill, that is the creating process. You do not want a “click here button and I will do it for you” that takes away the whole constructive process and personal signature. I have tried AI only for vocals, but I think it’s still far from an acceptable quality result.
9. For DJs just entering the Afro house scene – whether they’re in Portugal, across Europe, or anywhere in the world – what would be your top pieces of advice? What mistakes should they avoid, what skills should they prioritize developing, and how can they build an authentic connection to the music while finding their unique voice in the genre?
I would tell them to master the skills of promoting, marketing and advertising before anything else. For those who live this life, they know what I am talking about. It’s not about music anymore, it’s about business, sad to say!! The biggest mistake would be trying to replicate something that already exists. Guess what. If somebody is doing it already, you are late!! Try to present something new and unique, something that will identify you as an artist instead of associate you with something or somebody.
10. Looking ahead, what are your big plans for the next year or two? Are there specific markets or festivals you’re targeting, any dream collaborations on your wishlist, or new sounds you want to explore? How do you see your role in the global Afro house movement evolving?
For each year my goals are always the same. Make more music, share it with the world and get more listeners. I have a few festivals I would like to perform, but for now I don’t want to throw out any names. I have a few collabs with Space Motion, Shoba Warrior, LOV and also Leo Guardo in the making, and I would like to collaborate with a few fellow artists such as Djeff, since we are both from Portugal and Bun Xapa, because I’m a fan of his music. I would like to see myself as a positive figure in this Afro House community and, in the future, maybe be an inspiration to others like the ones who came before were an inspiration to me.
MAMöro’s “Thandaza” EP is out now on Afrosteria