Yoko Kanno and The Seatbelts

Music:

Member Since: 10/5/2006
Band Website: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoko_Kanno
Band Members:

Yoko Kanno herself

The mystery about Gabriela Robin

On some of Kanno's albums, a singer-songwriter named "Gabriela Robin"is credited, and is often featured singing gibberish-like lyrics on a number of songs. There is wide speculation and belief that Robin is actually Kanno herself under a different name.

Although Kanno has maintained that Robin is a different person than her, the booklet of the Macross Plus-soundtrack names Gabriela Robin as the composer of Santi-U, while Kanno claims this honor in a Newtype interview for herself.

The Seatbelts

is a Japanese blues/jazz band led by composer and instrumentist Yoko Kanno. The name of the band, according to the fictional description given in the Japanese anime Cowboy Bebop, derives from how the performers wear seatbelts to be safe while they play hardcore jam sessions.

The band performed the whole soundtrack of the anime series Cowboy Bebop and produced a total of seven albums and one live DVD. Their style is very diverse and ranges from a straightforward big band jazz to rock 'n roll ballads.

Since the band is focused mostly on instrumental work, The Seatbelts have no lead singer. But Steve Conte (from The Contes and Crown Jewels) and Mai Yamane participate and sing in many of their songs. The lyrics of these songs are written mainly by Tim Jensen and Yoko Kanno herself. Singers Soichiro Otsuka and Gabriela Robin (rumored to be a pseudonym for Kanno) are responsible for the back vocals on songs such as "Blue".

After a few years in hibernation, The Seatbelts have regrouped in 2004 to compose the soundtrack of the second Cowboy Bebop video game, which is currently available in Japan.

Many of the members of The Seatbelts have also worked with Kanno and with each other on other projects, as well, and some have even gone on to compose their own work. For example, guitarist Tsuneo Imahori also played guitar on the soundtracks for Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and Wolf's Rain (both of which were composed by Kanno), as well as composing the soundtracks for Trigun and Gungrave.
Influences: The two great french composers Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy.
Sounds Like: Some kick ass music. All kinds of stuff! It is just awesome really...
Hired Vocalists:* AFRA * Aki Okui * Akino * Akino Arai * Artur Stefanowicz * Carla Vallet * Chinatsu Yamamoto * Chris Mosdell * Cosmic Voices from Bulgaria * Crystal Kay * Donna Burke * Emily Bindiger * Emily Curtis * Franco Sansalone * Gabriela Robin * Hassan Bohmide * Ilaria Graziano * Jadwiga Rappe' * Joyce (singer) * Kaoru Nishino* Kyoko Katsunuma * M (singer) * Maaya Sakamoto * Mai Yamane * Maryanne Murray * Origa * Pierre Bensusan * Raiche' Coutev Sisters * Raj Ramayya * Reynada Hill * Scott Matthew * Seika Iwashita * Shanti Snyder * Soichiro Otsuka * Steve Conte * Sydney Thiam * Tim Jensen * Tokiko Kato * Tulivu-Donna Cumberbatch * Wuyontana
Record Label: She has many...
Type of Label: Major