Oud groovers Quarter to Africa show their love for Japan by re-inventing a folk song every Japanese child knows

When you already combine traditional Arabic scales with African funk, what’s adding one more culture to the mix? Hailing from Israel, Quarter to Africa’s (Q2A) sound is an uplifting collage of electric guitar, saxophone, percussion and electric oud (Israeli lute) grooves.

With the help of the Israeli embassy and music broadcaster Peter Bakaran, the band toured in Japan and gained an enthusiastic Japanese following. TANKO BUSH, a re-imagining of obon staple Tanko Bushi (a Japanese folk-song about coal mining) is a tribute to their Japanese fans. 

TANKO BUSH is an example of how fusion should be done, keeping the swaying rhythms and playful feel of the original song while adding impressive oud (Israeli lute) solos and a dash of electronics. Makam scales and the pentatonic totality of Japanese folk songs prove to be surprisingly compatible here. Think drunken night at the izakaya with bongo drums.

This music video is a fun-loving compilation of footage from the bands Japan concerts, as well as amusing clips of the lads enjoying Tokyo.