SEATBELTS

SEATBELTS is a band of technical masters led by legendary composer Yoko Kanno, also known as Captain Duckling. They occasionally descend to Earth—and luckily, they’re coming to Europe this December for the first time ever for a show at MANGA BARCELONA.

Known for their wild mix of jazz, blues, funk, and experimental sounds, SEATBELTS are the creators of the unforgettable soundtrack to Cowboy Bebop, one of the most influential anime series of all time. From the explosive opening theme Tank!, to the soulful ending The Real Folk Blues, the emotional Space Lion, and the energetic Rush, SEATBELTS helped define the show’s unique identity—and left a mark on anime music history.

Even Captain Duckling herself isn’t quite sure how many members the band has, or exactly how long they’ve been around. Some say SEATBELTS might not even fully exist in our world—they roam the galaxy, jumping into spaceships and yelling “Let’s jam!”, but always fastening their seatbelts just in case.

The ensemble visiting MANGA BARCELONA will be led by one of Japan’s most celebrated musicians, saxophonist Masato Honda—the artist behind the electrifying sax solo in Tank! and an original member of SEATBELTS. He’ll be joined by the spectacular voice of Mai Yamane, the band’s original singer, along with Tsuneo Imahori on guitar, Keisuke Torigoe on double bass, Yasuo Sano on drums, and the band’s usual team of sound engineers.

Joining them in the brass section will be one of Spain’s top saxophonists, Kike Perdomo, along with his Canary Islands Big Band. Both were personally selected by Yoko Kanno after working closely with her to bring even more power and depth to the band’s sound for this first-ever international concert.

They’ve made brief appearances on Earth: a legendary live show in 2009, a series of special video performances in 2020, and a return for the Netflix adaptation of Cowboy Bebop. Now it’s time for MANGA BARCELONA. After this, when will SEATBELTS show up again? No one knows. But if they do, you’ll hear that familiar countdown: 3, 2, 1… Let’s jam!