As their name suggests, Sababa 5 are a quintet. The Israeli band, however, follows the »4 + 1« tactic: The four musicians from Tel Aviv are always on the lookout for different singers to add vocals to their groovy instrumentals. Following in the footsteps of Shiran Tzfira and Barak Cohen, their second album »Kokoro« features Japanese singer Yurika Hanashima. She learned to love belly dancing during her studies in the Middle East, which took her to Egypt, Morocco, Turkey and finally Israel.
Combining North African and Arabic influences, soul and funk with Japanese lyrics, disco grooves and surf guitars, the eight joint songs sound particularly exotic and cosmopolitan in the best sense of the word: the playful spirit and melodic leadership of Altın Gün paired with the understated Japanese pop sensibility of Tenniscouts. From the synth-dominated first single »Crossroads Of Love«, with its crisp, danceable beat, to the laid-back, wispy title track, this extraordinary collaboration convinces across the board, so much so that, in a twisted football metaphor for this summer’s European Championships, you could say: »Tel Aviv or Tokyo – main thing the Orient!«
