The Max Rebo Band is a fictional
alien pop music
Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom.S. Frith, W. Straw, and J. Street, eds, ''iarchive:cambridgecompani00frit, The Cambridge Companion to Pop ...
band in the ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'' franchise, first appearing in the 1983 film ''
Return of the Jedi
''Return of the Jedi'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi'' is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas. The sequel to '' The Empire ...
'' as a three-piece group performing the song "Lapti Nek" for crime lord
Jabba the Hutt
Jabba Desilijic Tiure, better known as Jabba the Hutt ( ) is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Initially performed by Declan Mulholland as a human in the original ''Star Wars'' film, Jabba first appeared properly in the 198 ...
. The original lineup consisted of the blue-skinned
Ortolan organist
An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ (music), organ. An organist may play organ repertoire, solo organ works, play with an musical ensemble, ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumentalist, instrumental ...
Max Rebo, the plump
Kitonak woodwind
Woodwind instruments are a family of musical instruments within the greater category of wind instruments.
Common examples include flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone. There are two main types of woodwind instruments: flutes and Ree ...
player Droopy McCool, and
Pa'lowick lead singer Sy Snootles, while additional members were inserted into the later-edited
Special Edition of the film. A great deal of further information about the band and the personal histories of its members is found in various literature of the now-noncanonical
''Star Wars'' Legends universe.
The group are classified as "jizz-wailers", which, according to the ''
Star Wars Encyclopedia'', refers to a "musician who plays a fast, contemporary, and upbeat style of music."
Max and Droopy were portrayed by actors in bodysuits, while Snootles was operated by two puppeteers stationed above and beneath the set. For the 1997 Special Edition of ''Return of the Jedi'', the original Snootles puppet was replaced with a computer-generated version, and nine new band members were added with live actors and computer animation digitally composited into new and existing footage. "Lapti Nek" was additionally replaced with a new track titled "Jedi Rocks".
Appearances
Film
The Max Rebo Band made their debut in ''
Return of the Jedi
''Return of the Jedi'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi'' is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas. The sequel to '' The Empire ...
'' during the scenes set in
Jabba's palace on
Tatooine
Tatooine ( ) is a fictional desert planet that appears in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. It is a beige-colored, desolate world orbiting a pair of binary stars, and inhabited by human settlers and a variety of other life forms. The planet was fi ...
. In the original version, the trio performs a
Huttese-language pop song titled "Lapti Nek" (Huttese for "Fancy Man"); the English lyrics (by composer
John Williams
John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (November 15, 2022)Classic Connection review, ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who w ...
's son
Joseph Williams) are about dancing; ''
Hardware Wars'' creator
Ernie Fosselius helped arrange the song.
["Jabbapalooza: Who's Who in the Max Rebo Band," ''Star Wars Insider'' 67, May 2003] The track was
replaced in the Special Edition with "Jedi Rocks", written by
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
musician
Jerry Hey
Jerry Hey (born 1950) is an American trumpeter, flugelhornist, horn arranger, string arranger, orchestrator and session musician who has played on hundreds of commercial recordings, including Michael Jackson's '' Thriller'', '' Rock with Y ...
and described in the
''Star Wars'' Databank as a "less-dated piece of music".
[Max Rebo Band a]
The Star Wars Databank
In both versions of the film, the group follows the singing number with festive instrumental tunes, during which only Max is shown up close. The fate of the trio is unclear following the explosion of Jabba's sail barge after his attempted execution of
Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He was introduced in the original film trilogy as the main protagonist and also appears in the sequel trilogy. Raised as a poor moisture farmer on the desert planet Tat ...
,
Han Solo
Han Solo () is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He was introduced in the 1977 film ''Star Wars (film), Star Wars'', and later appeared in ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980), ''Return of the Jedi'' (1983), ''Star Wars: The F ...
, and
Chewbacca.
Other versions of the song "Lapti Nek" exist, including a 12-inch club mix, a
dub mix, and a cover by
Meco—as well as a later recording by vocalist/lyric writer Joseph Williams as Urth, which incorporates lyrics he wrote for ''Return of the Jedi''s "
Ewok Celebration".
Literature
The original members of the Max Rebo Band make several appearances in ''Star Wars'' Expanded Universe literature. Max, Droopy, and Sy are featured in
John Gregory Betancourt
John Gregory Betancourt (born October 25, 1963) is an American writer of science fiction, fantasy and Mystery fiction, mystery novels, as well as short story, short stories. He is also known as the founder and publisher, with his wife Kim Betanco ...
's short story ''And the Band Played On: The Band's Tale,'' from the 1995 anthology ''
Tales from Jabba's Palace''. According to the story, the band begins as a quartet called "
Evar Orbus and His Galactic Jizz-wailers." They arrive on Tatooine in three years after the Battle of
Yavin
Yavin 4 (or Yavin IV) is a natural satellite in the Star Wars fictional universe. Located in the Outer Rim, this moon orbits the gas giant Yavin.
It appears mainly in the films '' Rogue One'' and '' A New Hope'', for which the exterior scenes ar ...
depicted in ''
A New Hope'', one year before the events of ''Return of the Jedi'', for a gig at the
Mos Eisley cantina, but regular in-house band,
the Modal Nodes, objects to the presence of a second group, and Orbus is killed by Nodes leader Figrin D'an following a scuffle aboard an airbus.
Droopy and Sy elect Max as their new bandleader, and the trio secures an audition with Jabba the Hutt, who is pleased with their performance of "Lapti Nek". He offers the band a lifetime contract paid in food instead of money, much to Max's delight and Sy's disdain. However, the execution of Han, Luke, and Chewbacca at the Great Pit of Carkoon descends into chaos as Jabba is fatally strangled by
Princess Leia
Princess Leia Organa ( or ) is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Introduced in the Star Wars (film), original ''Star Wars'' film in 1977, Leia is a princess of the planet Alderaan, a member of the Galactic Empire (Star Wars ...
, and the band escapes from Jabba's barge sans instruments just before it explodes. Droopy quits the group on the spot after wandering off into the desert to join fellow Kitonaks he hears playing in the distance, and Sy and Max join forces as the Max Rebo Duo. The book's epilogue describes the pair splitting up; Sy flops as a solo act while Max joins up with the Rebellion and uses his musical talents to entertain the troops.
John Gregory Betancourt
John Gregory Betancourt (born October 25, 1963) is an American writer of science fiction, fantasy and Mystery fiction, mystery novels, as well as short story, short stories. He is also known as the founder and publisher, with his wife Kim Betanco ...
, "And the Band Played On: The Band's Tale," in Kevin J. Anderson, ed., ''Tales from Jabba's Palace'' (paperback; New York: Bantam Spectra, 1995), p. 209, .
Comics
In the 2000 Dark Horse release ''A Hot Time in the Cold Town Tonite!,'' Jabba sends the puzzled trio to the frozen planet
Hoth
Hoth is an ice planet in the ''Star Wars'' fictional universe. It first appeared in the 1980 film ''The Empire Strikes Back'' and has also been a setting in ''Star Wars'' books and video games.
Description
Hoth is the sixth planet of a remote ...
to play for a rival crime lord, Bingo Mehndra, who threatens to feed the band to his pet
Wampa
The universe of ''Star Wars'', a space opera media franchise, features a broad variety of different alien creatures. These aliens can be sentient or non-sentient, serving as species for characters, setting pieces, plot devices, and backgrou ...
if he suspected any kind of trickery. The group soon discovers that Jabba is actually using them as pawns in an assassination attempt against Bingo after they discover explosives hidden inside their speakers. They make their getaway by superimposing holograms of themselves from a past performance onto the stage, which Bingo realizes just as the explosives detonate. Though Jabba had blatantly endangered their lives, the band nonetheless chooses to avoid his wrath by returning to Tatooine.
In
Dave Cooper's ''Stop That Jawa!'' (part of ''
Star Wars Tales 2'' published by
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, manga and Artist's book, art book publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon, by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, O ...
in 2000), the trio has their instruments "salvaged" by
Jawa scavengers outside the Mos Eisley cantina. They are then pursued by a droid bounty hunter who earlier overheard Sy badmouthing Jabba in the cantina. The bounty hunter is revealed at the conclusion to be a Derfian musician named Tik Tali Talosh, who pressures the Jawas into returning the instruments before proclaiming his adoration of the group and requesting an audition.
[ Dave Cooper, "Stop That Jawa!", in ''Star Wars Tales'' 2 (Dark Horse Comics, January 2000).]
Television
Max Rebo appears in the first, second, and fourth episodes of the television series ''
The Book of Boba Fett'', which takes place five years after ''Return of the Jedi''. He was shown to have survived the destruction of Jabba's sail barge.
Other
The original band has made minor appearances in other ''Star Wars'' media. The unfinished 1982
David Tomblin mockumentary
A mockumentary (a portmanteau of ''mock'' and ''documentary'') is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events, but presented as a Documentary film, documentary. Mockumentaries are often used to analyze or comment on current event ...
''
Return of the Ewok'' showed them in Jabba's palace, and they briefly appeared in an October 1985 episode of the animated series ''
Star Wars: Droids'' titled "The Lost Prince", in which they performed in Doodnik's Café on the mining planet of Tyne's Horky. The trio also featured in the video games ''
Star Wars: Demolition'' (2000) and ''
Star Wars: Battlefront II'' (2005).
In May 2003, nearly six years after the rerelease of ''Return of the Jedi'', ''
Star Wars Insider'' published brief biographies of the band's new members for an article called "Jabbapalooza: Who's Who in the Max Rebo Band."
Concept and creation
''Star Wars'' creator
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker and philanthropist. He created the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' franchises and founded Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chairman ...
stated that the scene featuring the band was intended to be an elaborate production, but the crew "never really had the time" to film it. Lucas commented, "I thought
twould be funny
o have a musical numberin the middle of a Star Wars film."
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker and philanthropist. He created the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' franchises and founded Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chairman ...
, commentary to ''Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi'', Special Edition (VHS, 20th Century Fox, 1997).
The original band members—Max, Sy, and Droopy—were puppets designed by
Phil Tippett
Phil Tippett (born September 27, 1951) is an American film director and visual effects supervisor and producer, who specializes in creature design, stop-motion and computerized character animation. Over his career, he has assisted ILM and Drea ...
of
Industrial Light and Magic
Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) is an American Film, motion picture visual effects, computer animation and stereo conversion digital studio founded by George Lucas on May 26, 1975. It is a division of the film production company Lucasfilm, which Lu ...
's Creature Shop.
Timothy D. Rose was the puppeteer for Sy. Lucas was not entirely pleased with the scene, saying that the puppets were too static and motionless.
Special Edition producer
Rick McCallum concurred that the requirements of the scene were too complex, even for
animatronic
An animatronic is a puppet controlled electronically to move in a fluent way. Animatronics are the modern adaptation of the automaton and are often used for the portrayal of characters in films, video games and in theme park attractions.
Anim ...
s.
For the 1997 rerelease of ''Return of the Jedi'', Sy Snootles was recreated entirely in
CGI and nine new musicians and dancers were added, while Max and Droopy's screen time during the segment was reduced in comparison to the original film. Visual effects supervisor
Dave Carson described the process of creating Sy and new character
Joh Yowza as similar to sculpting clay models, adding that CGI characters were more like puppets than cartoons and that animators "constantly find limitations:
hecharacters don't bend right, or their mass isn't right," problems he claimed that confronted puppeteers.
In addition to the new characters, "Lapti Nek" was replaced with "Jedi Rocks."
Lucas insisted that the revised sequence added more atmosphere and quality to the film.
Original band members
Max Rebo is the stage name of Siiruulian Phantele, a stocky
Ortolan keyboardist and eponymous leader of the Max Rebo Band. He plays a Red Ball Jett keyboard, which is similar to a circular
reed organ
The pump organ or reed organ is a type of organ that uses free reeds to generate sound, with air passing over vibrating thin metal strips mounted in a frame. Types include the pressure-based harmonium, the suction reed organ (which employs a va ...
with
clavinet
The Clavinet is an electric clavichord invented by Ernst Zacharias and manufactured by the Hohner company of Trossingen, West Germany, from 1964 to 1982. The instrument produces sounds with rubber pads, each matching one of the keys and respond ...
characteristics. Max was a founding member of Evar Orbus and His Galactic Jizz-wailers, but after Orbus's death, he was elected the group's new leader.
Like other Ortolans, Max is a
glutton; he ecstatically accepts a lifetime contract from Jabba that is paid in endless meals instead of money, which angers the rest of the group. With their contract terminated following Jabba's demise, Max and Sy team up as the Max Rebo Duo in the wake of Droopy's departure. After performing for
Lady Valarian, the pair splits. Max joins the
Rebel Alliance
The Rebel Alliance (known formally Universe of Star Wars, in-universe as the Alliance to Restore the Republic) is an organization that features in the fictional world of the Star Wars, ''Star Wars'' franchise. The Alliance is portrayed as a state ...
to entertain the troops, one reason being that "the Rebellion has the best food."
After the
Galactic Civil War, he quits the music business and opens a chain of successful restaurants throughout the galaxy. He retires to a life of wealth and luxury on
Coruscant.
[Max Rebo at th]
Star Wars Databank
/ref>
In a nod to his physical appearance, Max's real name, Siiruulian Phantele, is a play on the words "cerulean
The color cerulean (American English) or caerulean (British English, Commonwealth English), is a variety of the hue of blue that may range from a light azure blue to a more intense sky blue. Cerulean may also be mixed with the hue of green. ...
elephant
Elephants are the largest living land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant ('' Loxodonta africana''), the African forest elephant (''L. cyclotis''), and the Asian elephant ('' Elephas maximus ...
." He was portrayed by Simon Williamson in both versions of ''Return of the Jedi,'' and the character was a puppet constructed from the waist up by ILM.[''From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga'', narrated by ]Mark Hamill
Mark Richard Hamill (; born September 25, 1951) is an American actor. He is best known for starring as Luke Skywalker in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, and the Joker (character), Joker in various animated DC Comics projects, starting with ''Batm ...
(1985; VHS, CBS Fox Video, 1992).
Sy Snootles is a robust female Pa'lowick who is the lead vocalist and original member of the band. She had an affair with her Yuzzum groupie, Clayton. She is angered at Max's acceptance of Jabba's contract, and after attempts to rework the deal prove futile, Sy resorts to secretly spying for over a dozen of Jabba's enemies to earn credits, but then works as a double agent by giving them false information provided by Bib Fortuna. She was also not above getting her hands dirty when she killed Ziro the Hutt to obtain for Jabba a book containing dirt on the other Hutt leaders.
She teams up with Max as the Max Rebo Duo following Jabba's death and Droopy's departure from the band. Following a brief gig for Lady Valarian, Sy dissolves her relationship with Max and begins her solo career, but her subsequent recordings sell poorly and she is relegated to touring Outer Rim dives under different stage names.[Sy Snootles at th]
Star Wars Databank
/ref>
During production, Sy Snootles' nickname was "Ms. Snooty." In the original version of the film, the character was a marionette
A marionette ( ; ) is a puppet controlled from above using wires or strings depending on regional variations. A marionette's puppeteer is called a marionettist. Marionettes are operated with the puppeteer hidden or revealed to an audience by ...
-like puppet operated by puppeteers Mike Quinn and Tim Rose; Quinn was stationed on scaffolding and controlled her upper body, while Rose moved her legs from beneath the set. The character's oversized ruby lips were suggested by George Lucas, who referred to them as "Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English musician. He is known as the lead singer and one of the founder members of The Rolling Stones. Jagger has co-written most of the band's songs with lead guitarist Keith Richards; Jagge ...
lips."
Sy was voiced in the original version of ''Jedi'' by Lucasfilm sound engineer Annie Arbogast, who also wrote the Huttese-language lyrics to "Lapti Nek." The track was recorded at Lucasfilm's Sprocket Systems (currently Skywalker Sound), and was even the recipient of a 1983 Apex Award.[''Lapti Nek'' lyrics (Huttese)](_blank)
- nerf-herders-anonymous.net For close-up shots, Sy's mouth was articulated using a nearly-invisible wire connected to a microphone stand.[The Tatooine Sail Barge Set](_blank)
- BlueHarvest.net The puppet was replaced with a computer-generated image for the Special Edition re-release. The CGI was spliced in with shots of the original puppet and created a continuity error with the puppet Sy's headdress feather appearing and disappearing during the film's first act.
In the '' Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' series, she is voiced by Nika Futterman.
Droopy McCool is the stage name of a slow-minded Kitonak musician and original member of the Max Rebo Band. He plays a chidinkalu horn, an instrument that resembles a clarinet
The clarinet is a Single-reed instrument, single-reed musical instrument in the woodwind family, with a nearly cylindrical bore (wind instruments), bore and a flared bell.
Clarinets comprise a Family (musical instruments), family of instrume ...
. Droopy's actual birth name is a series of unpronounceable flute-like whistles, but he was renamed Snit by Orbus, who purchased him as a slave and forced him to join his band due to Snit's musical talents.[Droopy McCool at th]
Star Wars Databank
Following Orbus's death, he is freed and given his familiar stage name by bandmate Sy Snootles. After the band flees Jabba's barge following his death, Droopy quits the group and wanders off alone into the desert to search for other members of his race. He is never seen again, but rumors among Tatooine's moisture farmers claim that the sound of Kitonak pipes have been heard from the far reaches of the desert.[ Kevin J. Anderson, "Epilogue: Whatever Became Of...?," ''Tales from Jabba's Palace'', p. 417.]
Droopy was played by Deep Roy in a full bodysuit for both versions of ''Return of the Jedi.''
Special Edition band members
The following characters were added to the 1997 Special Edition version of the film.
Ak-rev is a leathery-faced Weequay skiff guard and drummer from the planet Sriluur. He had played the sacred drums in a monastery devoted to the Weequay god of thunder before moving to Tatooine to serve as one of Jabba's skiff guards, simply in order to mingle with other members of his race. He becomes a part-time drummer for the Max Rebo Band, and after Jabba's death, Ak-rev and fellow percussionist Umpass-stay attempt to flee to Mos Eisley, but the pair is ambushed by Tusken Raiders and Ak-rev is beaten to death.[Ak-rev at th]
Star Wars Databank
According to the ''Star Wars Databank'', his musical style is derived from the Japanese art of Taiko
are a broad range of Traditional Japanese musical instruments, Japanese percussion instruments. In Japanese language, Japanese, the term refers to any kind of drum, but outside Japan, it is used specifically to refer to any of the various J ...
. His Special Edition actor was David Gonzalez.
Doda Bodonawieedo is a green-skinned Rodian musician who plays a slitherhorn, a fictional wind instrument similar to a heckelphone. Orphaned at a young age after his family was killed by bounty hunters, Doda held an affinity for classical Rodian music and crime. His connections with the Tatooine underworld led him to Jabba the Hutt and the Max Rebo Band. Doda remains at Jabba's Palace during the execution at the Sarlacc; when he hears of Jabba's death, he steals several valuable statues from the palace and disappears.[Doda Bodonawieedo at th]
Star Wars Databank
Nelson Hall played Doda in the Special Edition, but was not included in the credits.[Full cast of ''Return of the Jedi''](_blank)
- Internet Movie Database
Barquin D'an is a Bith musician from the planet Clak'dor VII who plays a Kloo horn, a fictitious wind instrument that resembles a bassoon
The bassoon is a musical instrument in the woodwind family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuosity ...
. He is the estranged older brother of Figrin D'an, and resents the success of his brother's band, The Modal Nodes. He travels to Tatooine to join the Nodes, who are nowhere to be found after his arrival. Barquin stays to perform with local musicians and eventually joins the Max Rebo Band; unaccustomed to the depravity he witnesses in Jabba's Palace, he flees after Oola's gruesome death.[Barquin D'an at th]
Star Wars Databank
After Jabba's demise, he quits music altogether and starts an import/export business.
Barquin was portrayed by Don Bies in an uncredited role.
Greeata Jendowanian is a female Rodian dancer and backup vocalist for the Max Rebo Band. She gets her start playing the Kloo horn on a luxury starship called the ''Kuari Princess,'' where she befriends Sy Snootles. They become a duo and eventually join up with Max Rebo. After Jabba the Hutt's death and the band's escape into the desert, Greeata and fellow singer Lyn Me come to the band's rescue by driving off a group of Tusken Raiders and stealing their Bantha
Banthas are fictional creatures in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. They are large, quadrupedal mammals with long, thick fur, and are first seen in the film ''Star Wars'' (1977), where they are used as beasts of burden by Tusken Raiders on the pla ...
s, which they ride to Mos Eisley.
Greeata was played by Smuin Ballet creative director Celia Fushille in a Rodian bodysuit and mask for the Special Edition.[Celia Fushille-Burke retires a star at Smuin](_blank)
- SFGate.com, 5/12/06
Lyn Me is a blue-skinned female Twi'lek dancer and backup vocalist in the Max Rebo Band. She becomes infatuated with Boba Fett and follows him to Tatooine
Tatooine ( ) is a fictional desert planet that appears in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. It is a beige-colored, desolate world orbiting a pair of binary stars, and inhabited by human settlers and a variety of other life forms. The planet was fi ...
, where she joins the band at Jabba's palace. She meets her hero but is later enraged at his death during the skirmish at the Sarlacc pit. Lyn and Greeata head out into the desert on a stolen landspeeder
Landspeeders are fictional anti-gravity craft used through the ''Star Wars'' movies and ''Star Wars'' expanded universe. They are depicted both in civilian and military capacities, and several versions have been merchandised as toys and model ...
and rescue Max, Droopy, and Sy from Tusken Raiders before making off with their Banthas. She initially vows to take revenge on Han, Luke and Leia for their part in Fett's death,[Lyn Me at th]
Star Wars Databank
/ref> but then drops her vendetta.
Lyn Me was portrayed by ballet dancer Dalyn Chew.
at nerf-herders-anonymous.net
Rappertunie is the stage name of Rapotwanalantonee Tivtotolon, a frog-like, potbellied Shawda Ubb musician who plays a harmonica
The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica incl ...
-like instrument called a growdi, which is described in the ''Star Wars Databank'' as a cross between a water organ
The water organ or hydraulic organ () (early types are sometimes called hydraulos, hydraulus or hydraula) is a type of pipe organ blown by air, where the power source pushing the air is derived by water from a natural source (e.g. by a waterfal ...
and a flute
The flute is a member of a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, producing sound with a vibrating column of air. Flutes produce sound when the player's air flows across an opening. In th ...
.[Rappertunie at th]
Star Wars Databank
He comes from the swamp planet of Manpha, and joins the band on Tatooine, but he confines himself to Jabba's palace due to the unpleasant desert environment, even though his small size places him in constant danger of being eaten. Rappertunie leaves Tatooine to continue his career after Jabba's death, but his knowledge of computer technology leads him to employment as an engineer for a manufacturer of MSE-6 droids.
Rappertunie was an 0.3 meter (0.98 foot)-tall puppet digitally composited into new and existing footage of the film, and was nicknamed ''"Jedi Rapper"'' by the filmmakers during production.
Rystáll Sant is a colorful female "near-human" singer and dancer from Coruscant. Her mother was human, and her father a Theelin, but Rystáll is orphaned as a small child without ever knowing them and she is taken in by Ortolan musicians. She and her adoptive family are enslaved by a lieutenant in the Black Sun criminal organization, before Lando Calrissian wins them from the criminal in a sabacc game and frees them from slavery. After relocating to Tatooine, she joins the Max Rebo Band as a backup vocalist and dancer. Rystáll is briefly seen flirting with Boba Fett prior to the arrival of Boushh.[Rystáll at th]
Star Wars Databank
; last accessed July 24, 2006.
Rystáll was portrayed by Canadian dancer Mercedes Ngoh in full-body makeup, which took four hours to apply for her lone day of shooting.
- blogspot.com
Umpass-stay is a Klatooinian drummer with a canine-like snout and hooded eyes. He works as a spy and a guard for Jabba while performing as a drummer with the Max Rebo Band, and stays behind at Jabba's palace during the failed execution of Luke, Han and Chewbacca. After he is free following Jabba's death, Umpass-stay elects to become a servant for another Hutt household.[Umpass-stay at th]
Star Wars Databank
Like Ak-rev, Umpass-stay's drumming was inspired by Taiko. His Special Edition actor was uncredited.
Joh Yowza is the stage name of J'ywz'gnk Kchhllbrxcstk Et'nrmdndlcvtbrx, a short, furry Endor Endor or Ein Dor may refer to:
Places
* Endor (village), from the Hebrew Bible, a Canaanite village where the Witch of Endor lived
* Indur, a Palestinian village depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war
* Ein Dor, a Kibbutz in modern Israel ...
ian creature known as a Yuzzum, as well as a lead singer in the Max Rebo Band. After he unknowingly stows away on a star freighter while searching for food, the captain keeps him aboard for cooking, cleaning, and other menial tasks. In return, Yowza is well-fed and taught Galactic Basic.[Joh Yowza at th]
Star Wars Databank
While watching Evar Orbus and His Galactic Jizz-wailers perform at a cafe, he sings along. Impressed with his voice, Orbus signs Yowza, who performs for food and shelter, while Sy gives him his new stage name. After Orbus's death, Yowza joins the band on Tatooine after a successful audition for Jabba. The group disbands after Jabba's death and Yowza travels to Mos Eisley, where he finds a job on a small passenger liner and performs with its house band in exchange for free food and transportation throughout the Outer Rim.
Joh Yowza appeared as a computer-generated image, but his voice actor was uncredited. The Yuzzums were originally slated to appear as a second race on Endor in the original version of the film, but were axed due to high production costs. Only one Yuzzum puppet was constructed, and was included in the background of Jabba's palace.
Expanded Universe band members
Evar Orbus is an eight-tentacled, beak-mouthed Letaki singer and musician who made his first canon appearance in "And the Band Played On." He was the eponymous founder of Evar Orbus and His Galactic Jizz-wailers, in addition to purchasing Kitonak musician Snit (later Droopy McCool) as a slave and adding him to the lineup. The quartet agrees to play a gig at the Mos Eisley cantina, which leads to a conflict with incumbent group The Modal Nodes. After Orbus is killed by Figrin D'an, the band is then renamed after new leader Max Rebo.
Brennan Tik Tali Talosh is a Derfian from the planet Derf and president of the Max Rebo Band Fan Club. The character first appeared at the end of ''Stop that Jawa!'' from ''Star Wars Tales 2''. He realizes his dream of playing with the group when he is invited to perform with them at Jabba's palace shortly before the Battle of Endor. After they split up, Talosh writes a tell-all book entitled ''Blue Man's Group'' (a pun on the performance trio Blue Man Group
Blue Man Group is an American performance art company formed in New York City in 1987. It is known for its stage productions that incorporate many kinds of music and art, both popular and obscure. Its performers, known as Blue Men, have their ...
) without the band's permission, causing them to sever ties with him. He nonetheless treasures his brief stint with the band.
References
Footnotes
Citations
Further reading
* Childs, T. Mike. ''The Rocklopedia Fakebandica''. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 2004. .
* Lewis, Ann Margaret. ''The Star Wars Essential Guide to Alien Species''. New York: Del Rey, 2001. .
* Mangels, Andy. ''The Essential Guide to Characters''. New York: Del Rey, 1995. .
* Reynolds, David West. ''Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary''. New York: DK Publishing, 1998. .
External links
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Characters created by George Lucas
Fictional musical groups
Star Wars Skywalker Saga characters
Female characters in film
Male characters in film
Music of Star Wars
Star Wars organizations
Film characters introduced in 1983