"Jabba Flow" was a Huttese song performed by Shag Kava, a traveling band comprised of musicians Taybin Ralorsa, Infrablue Zedbeddy Coggins, Ubert "Sticks" Quaril, and Sudswater Dillifay Glon. Named after Jabba the Hutt, "Jabba Flow" had repetitive lyrics and instrumentals consisting of a hypolliope horn cluster, a seven-string hallikset, and a xyloxan. In the year 34 ABY, Shag Kava performed "Jabba Flow" at Takodana Castle on the planet Takodana, following-up with "Dobra Doompa."
A lyrical song performed in Huttese, "Jabba Flow" was named after Jabba Desilijic Tiure, a Hutt crime lord. It's opening verse began by repeating "Oh, Jabba," followed by a repeated "No bata tu tu, muni, muni," which roughly translated as "No, lover, lover. It wasn't me," in Galactic Basic Standard. The song featured mellow instrumentals, which included a hypolliope horn cluster, a seven-string hallikset, and a xyloxan.
"Jabba Flow" was performed by traveling musicians in the castle of Maz Kanata.
In the year 34 ABY, "Jabba Flow" was performed in the castle of pirate queen Maz Kanata on the planet Takodana by the traveling musicians of the band Shag Kava: Taybin Ralorsa, Infrablue Zedbeddy Coggins, Ubert "Sticks" Quaril, and Sudswater Dillifay Glon. During the performance, Ralorsa provided vocals, Coggins played the hypolliope horn cluster, Quaril played the xyloxan, and Glon played the seven-string hallikset. After playing for a short time, they were briefly interrupted when the notorious smuggler Han Solo entered, gaining the attention of patrons. Following their performance of "Jabba Flow," the quartet played the song "Dobra Doompa."
"Jabba Flow" was created by Lin-Manuel Miranda and J.J. Abrams for Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens, which was released on December 18, 2015. Abrams, who directed the film, planned on creating a sequence to tribute the cantina scene from Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, and John Williams, the composer for The Force Awakens, asked Abrams to find someone to write the piece. Shortly after, while at a performance of the musical Hamilton, Abrams was approached by Miranda, Hamilton star and creator, who coincidentally offered to write cantina music if it was needed. Abrams later contacted Miranda, and the two collaborated to write the piece.
Digital release cover of "Jabba Flow"
While writing "Jabba Flow," Miranda referred to a glossary of Huttese terms, the language spoken by Jabba the Hutt, and he compared the translation to "It Wasn't Me," a song by reggae fusion artist Shaggy. From Star Wars Legends material, the lyrics "No bata tu tu, muni, muni" directly translate to "Whatever it is, I didn't do it, lover, lover." When the piece was completed, Miranda and Abrams produced and performed it under the stage name Shag Kava, also creating the song "Dobra Doompa." In The Force Awakens, "Jabba Flow" is played as Han Solo, Finn, Rey, and BB-8 enter Maz Kanata's castle. Although unidentified in this scene, the track is identified in the film's credits. On February 19, 2016, a remixed version of "Jabba Flow" by producers Rick Rubin and A-Trak was included on Star Wars Headspace, a compilation album of Star Wars–themed electronic dance music. Miranda and Abrams performed "Jabba Flow" following a performance of Hamilton on May 4, 2016, tying in with the song's digital single release.
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