Sandii & The Sunsetz

Born to a Japanese father and an American mother around 1964, Sandii spent her childhood in Hawaii while also passing extended stretches of time in Okinawa. Makoto Kubota, her husband, assembled Sandii And The Sunsetz at the start of the 1980s; the ensemble achieved modest recognition across Europe. Their album Immigrants included David Sylvian on vocals and as co-writer for multiple songs and earned strong critical notices, with Sounds magazine declaring: “Perhaps the most perfect, natural and consistent blend of Eastern and Western musical skills.” The band secured representation from Madonna’s manager and shared bills with INXS, David Bowie and Japan. Kubota later relocated the musicians for lengthy visits to Jamaica and then steered the sound toward an Asian fusion. Once Sandii and Kubota each turned to separate projects, Sandii And The Sunsetz disbanded. Kubota went on to oversee numerous recordings for Japan’s Wave Records, among them sessions with Detty Kurnia and Elvi Sukaesih, while Sandii persisted with solo releases. Kubota again served as producer on these projects, though most remained unavailable outside Japan. Their strongest 1990s work drew from Malaysian and Indonesian traditional forms, as heard on the 1993 album Airmata. Dream Catcher explored fresh directions that incorporated dangdut, ragga and rap.