Southern All Stars (サザンオールスターズ), also known as SAS and Sazan, is a Japanese… Read Full Bio ↴Southern All Stars (サザンオールスターズ), also known as SAS and Sazan, is a Japanese pop/rock band led by Kuwata Keisuke. The band is considered one of the most influential groups in Japan, being the 4th best-selling artist and having sold more than 47,083,000 copies in Japan.

The band's roots trace back to 1975, when Kuwata Keisuke was part of a popular group Better Days. The group saw many changes to its name and members. It was when keyboardist Hara Yuko and bassist Sekiguchi Kazuyuki joined the group that it had a permanent name.

After more and more changes of members, the group finally saw light as they released their debut single 'Katte ni Sinbad' in 1978.

January of 2000 saw the release of TSUNAMI, which was #1 on the Oricon charts for 5 weeks, selling almost 3 million copies. The single was marked the 3rd best-selling one in Japan.

In 2003, HMV Japan announced Southern All Stars to be the No.1 Japanese pop artist in its survey of “Top 100 Japanese pops Artists” all-time.

Members:
Kuwata Keisuke (桑田佳祐) (Lead vocals, acoustic & electric guitars)
Sekiguchi Kazuyuki (関口和之) (Bass)
Hara Yuko (原由子) (Vocals & keyboards)
Matsuda Hiroshi (松田弘) (Drums)
Nozawa Hideyuki (野沢秀行) (Percussion)

Former Members:
Omori Takashi (大森隆志) (Guitar) (Left August 2001)

マンボ
サザンオールスターズ Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Vamos a bailar mambo
Que aunque no lo sepas tu
Ahora es el ritmo preferido
De la juventud
Con el dum dum de las conqas
Esta fiesta ya empezo
Ves como suenan los timbales
Claves y bongos

Todo el mundo esta bailando
Y tu me seduces con el mambo
Oo y canto para ti
Si tu qozas con la bamba
El calypso y el baion
Tambien la rumba y el merengue
Tienen su sabor tienen sabor
Pero este ritmo latino
Que alla en cuba se invento
Y ahora se baila en
Todas partes, tambien en japon

Todo el mundo esta bailando
Y tu me seduces con el mambo
Oo y canto para ti
Ves que rico estuvo el mambo
Que en la fiesta se bailo
Desde ahora es el numero uno
El que canto yo

Y esto se acabo
Se acabo

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to サザンオールスターズ's song マンボ (Mambo) revolve around the theme of dancing to the rhythm of mambo. The song starts with an invitation to dance, regardless of whether one knows how to dance or not, as mambo has become the preferred rhythm of the youth. The congas, timbales, claves, and bongos are mentioned as instruments that make the rhythm sound so good. The verses describe the various other Latin rhythms like bamba, calypso, baion, rumba, and merengue, acknowledging their unique flavors. However, the singer emphasizes that mambo is the rhythm that was invented in Cuba and has now spread all over the world, including Japan.

The chorus emphasizes the universality of mambo as everyone is dancing to it, and the singer is being seduced by their partner through the dance. The last verse reiterates that the party was a success because of the mambo, which is now the number one rhythm, and the song ends with the declaration that it's over. Overall, the lyrics of マンボ indulge in the celebration of mambo as the universal dance rhythm that cuts across cultures and is enjoyed by everyone.

Line by Line Meaning

Vamos a bailar mambo
Let's dance the mambo

Que aunque no lo sepas tu
Even if you don't know it

Ahora es el ritmo preferido
Now it's the preferred rhythm

De la juventud
Of the youth

Con el dum dum de las conqas
With the dum dum of the congas

Esta fiesta ya empezo
This party has already started

Ves como suenan los timbales
You see how the timbales sound

Claves y bongos
Claves and bongos

Todo el mundo esta bailando
Everybody is dancing

Y tu me seduces con el mambo
And you seduce me with the mambo

Oo y canto para ti
Oh, and I sing for you