Nyoko Bokbae Alabasta (2023)
With over 523.2 million copies in circulation by December 2023, the Japanese manga One Piece is one of the most successful comic series that has ever been made. But it’s more than that: The blockbuster creation by Eiichirō Oda was turned into a legendary anime series in the 1990s and various animated feature films. Last year Netflix launched One Piece as a live-action series, which was a pricey affair: it cost the streaming giant 18 million USD. Per episode. The original manga as well as its various adaptations follow the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, a youngster who accidentally acquires the properties of rubber. Together with his crew, the Straw Hat Pirates, Luffy sets off to find the storied treasure that is referred to in the manga’s title. One of the locations Luffy and his crew find themselves in is the Kingdom of Sand, also known as the Kingdom of Alabasta. And it is this place the Paris-based trio Nyoko Bokbae is referring to in their latest single—not only by way of the track title but also with artwork inspired by manga aesthetics. The music itself is a smooth yet saucy affair, combining Bamao Yendé's sleek R'n'B and reggaeton infused instrumentals with vocalists Le Diouck and Boy Fall's tale about a raunchy flirt. The track is today’s song on The Rest; it was picked by Binta Kopp, a highly talented photographer and DJ based in Zurich, who is one of our contributors.
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