Do you like the cantina band in Star Wars? Or maybe the band at Jabba’s Palace? These bands perform the music genre jizz. Specific to Star Wars, it is an upbeat and swinging style of music similar to certain styles of jazz music within our universe.
Although no longer considered canon, jizz first appeared in A New Hope in 1977. The cantina band performed two notable songs in the film.
Since 2014, the first canon appearance of the jizz music genre is in Return of the Jedi. The band inside Jabba’s Palace performs the music style, originally with the song “Lapti Nek.” The 1997 Special Edition replaced the song with the more bombastic “Jedi Rocks.”
Here is everything you need to know about the cantina music genre in Star Wars. From what is considered jizz music to the most popular artists, we explain one of the most popular musical genres in Star Wars.
Note: Despite the recent controversy about potentially changing the name jizz to jatz, this is only speculation thus far. Skip ahead for information about the jizz vs jatz debate.
What Is Star Wars Cantina Music Called?
Within the Star Wars universe, the name of the cantina music genre is jizz. Performers of this musical style are often called jizz-wailers. Jizz is a form of diegetic music – music that exists within the fictional universe of the story. Unlike the music score or soundtrack, characters within the story can hear this music.
The term “jizz-wailer” was first introduced in the Return of the Jedi novelization book in 1983. However, jizz did not appear as the genre of music in Star Wars until the 1995 anthology novel Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina.
Since both of those books are now considered part of Star Wars Legends, the first canon appearance of jizz as a music genre is the Return of the Jedi junior novelization from 2017.
Within Star Wars Legends, jizz music included the cantina band from A New Hope and the band in Jabba the Hutt’s Palace in Return of the Jedi. However, only the band in Return of the Jedi is considered jizz in the new Star Wars canon.
What Is Considered Jizz Music Within Star Wars?
In Star Wars canon, only the song “Jedi Rocks” performed by the Max Rebo Band in Jabba’s Palace in Return of the Jedi is considered part of the jizz music genre.
Written by real-world musician Jerry Hey, “Jedi Rocks” first appeared in the 1997 Special Edition. It replaced the song “Lapti Nek” written by John Williams for the original 1983 version of the film. “Lapti Nek” was considered jizz in Star Wars Legends.
Although both songs were considered jizz, it is also worth noting that “Jedi Rocks” and “Lapti Nek” are distinctly different types of music. “Jedi Rocks” is a bombastic song influenced by real-world soul, blues, and pop-rock. Whereas “Lapti Nek” channels synth-pop and jazz styles contemporary to the early 1980s.
Other music considered jizz within Star Wars Legends includes the music performed by the cantina band on Tatooine in A New Hope. While not named in the movie, the band is Figrin D’an and the Modal Nodes.
They perform two songs during the film, the popular “Mad About You” and the slightly less familiar “Dune Sea Special.”
Both songs were actually written by composer John Williams. They are credited as “Cantina Band” and “Cantina Band #2,” respectively, on the film soundtrack.
However, most standard versions of the soundtrack omit “Cantina Band #2” aka “Dune Sea Special.” “Cantina Band” is also credited as “Cantina Band #1” on some editions.
Is All Music in Star Wars Considered Jizz?
No, not all music in Star Wars is considered jizz. It is only one of many different music genres within the Star Wars universe. From core drive to margengai glide and pulse-music to wreckpunk, at least two dozen music genres exist in Star Wars canon so far.
It is also unclear if all cantina music is considered jizz. For example, the cantina band from A New Hope, Figrin D’an and the Modal Nodes, are not considered jizz within Star Wars canon at this time.
There are also a number of undefined music genres in Star Wars. For example, the style of music performed by Aurodia Ventafoli and Luleo Primoc, the singers aboard Dryden Vos’ First Light in Solo: A Star Wars Story, has not been named yet.
The same is true of the Shag Kava Band, who performed in Maz Kanata’s castle in The Force Awakens.
Is the Music at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Considered Jizz?
It is unclear if the music that DJ R-3x plays at Oga’s Cantina is considered jizz. The playlist does not include “Jedi Rocks,” the only canon song part of the Star Wars jizz music genre.
However, the song “Mad About Mad About Me,” a remix of the original song by Figrin D’an and the Modal Nodes, is featured on DJ R-3x’s playlist. While not a canon jizz song, the original was considered part of the jizz genre in what is now Star Wars Legends.
The playlist also includes “Oola Shuka” by Gaya, “Modal Notes” by Figrin D’an and the Modal Nodes, and “Utinni” by The Dusty Jawas, among others. Perhaps the most popular song is “Una Duey Dee.” Performed by Kra Mer 5, it is a Gungan drinking song that is a fan-favorite at Oga’s Cantina.
Coincidentally, “Moulee-rah” is a song performed by Fytee and featuring RB Snootles. However, it is unclear if RB Snootles is related to Sy.
Did Lucasfilm Rename Jizz as Jatz In Star Wars Canon?
Rampant social media posts and news stories are claiming that Lucasfilm – or the popular target: Disney – changed the jizz to the more “family-friendly” jatz. However, jizz is still the canon name of the genre of music that the Max Rebo Band performs.
The controversy is likely an overreaction to the recent canon anthology book From a Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi. The book celebrates the fortieth anniversary with forty short stories that relate to characters and scenes in the movie.
The short story “Fancy Man” by Phil Szostak focuses on Max Rebo, leader of the eponymous Max Rebo Band. In the story, Rebo writes a new song in a dream sequence. Later, the band performs that song in Jabba’s Palace. However, it is unclear what song they play.
Despite the uproar about the supposed name change, using jatz does not definitively mean Lucasfilm is changing the name. Jatz is another genre of music in the Star Wars canon. And within the Legends universe, jatz and jizz are closely related.
That said, there are at least two reasons to believe this is a permanent change. First and foremost, “jizz” is definitely an unsavory term. At its best, it will elicit snickers. But some find the term cringeworthy or even offensive.
Second, the short story “Fancy Man” was written by Phil Szostak. While not a household name, Szostak is a Creative Art Manager who previously wrote several The Art of Star Wars books.
He also joined the Lucasfilm Story Group sometime in late 2021. As such, Szostak is in a prime position to retcon the genre.
And retcons in Star Wars are nothing new. While there are many to choose from, George Lucas changing who shot first in A New Hope frequently tops the list.
What is Jatz in Star Wars?
Jatz is a smooth-sounding style of music within the Star Wars universe. It was first introduced in the short story “The Perfect Weapon” by Delilah S. Dawson. The story was released on November 24, 2015, as part of the Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens series. Dawson also included Jatz in the 2023 novel Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade.
Within the Star Wars Legends continuity, jatz was described as sounding extremely similar to jizz. It first appeared in the “Galaxywide NewsNets” section of Star Wars Adventure Journal 3 in August 1994. The Star Wars Adventure Journal was an in-universe magazine published by West End Games as a compendium to the Star Wars Role Playing Game. It appeared in several other Star Wars Adventure Journals in the mid-90s.
Fantasy Flight Games included jatz in their Star Wars roleplaying games in the 2010s. It first appeared in the 2012 downloadable supplement “The Long Arm of the Hutt,” part of the Star Wars: Edge of the Empire Beginner Game.
It was also included in the “Trouble Brewing” adventure in the Star Wars: Edge of the Empire: Core Rulebook in 2013. Jatz later appeared in the 2008 James Luceno novel Darth Plagueis and the 2013 novel Crucible by Troy Denning.
Jatz technically predates jizz by roughly a year. While the 1983 Return of the Jedi novelization called the Max Rebo Band “jizz-wailers,” the genre jizz was not officially used until the anthology Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina in July of 1995.
What Caused the Uproar About Jizz Being Renamed Jatz?
Undoubtedly, no one has more issues with Star Wars than Star Wars fans. In this case, the uproar about potentially changing the name of “jizz” relates to two separate passages in the From a Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi anthology novel.
Page 20 of the ebook outlines a dream sequence where Max Rebo writes a song:
“With that, Max began to play. Puzzlingly, he didn’t dive into one of any number of jatz standards he knew by heart but something completely new. Jatz was, of course, one of the most popular forms of performed and recorded music in the entire galaxy, including Outer Rim worlds such as Orto. It came to be known by many names, some less palatable than others, over time and across cultures.”
On page 35, he details playing the song from his dream for Jabba the Hutt:
“It was then that he vaulted into the center of his semi-operable organ and began to play.
But Max didn’t play any one of the jatz standards he knew by heart, but that same syncopated funk groove from his dream.”
Neither passage conclusively relates to a specific song. They could reference “Lapti Nek,” the song that originally appeared in the theatrical release of Return of the Jedi. While it would take a slight retcon, it could also reference “Jedi Rocks,” which appeared in the Special Editions and subsequent versions of the film. It could even relate to an unknown song.
Who Are the Most Notable Star Wars Jizz Bands?
The two most notable jizz bands in Star Wars are Figrin D’an and the Modal Nodes and the Max Rebo Band. However, the Max Rebo Band is the only canon jizz band in Star Wars.
Figrin D’an and the Modal Nodes were under contract as the house band at Chalmun’s Spaceport Cantina in Mos Eisley on Tatooine during the events of A New Hope.
The Max Rebo Band served as Jabba’s house band at his palace on the outskirts of Mos Espa on the planet of Tatooine during Return of the Jedi.
Who Are the Most Notable Star Wars Jizz Bands?
The two most notable jizz bands in Star Wars are Figrin D’an and the Modal Nodes and the Max Rebo Band. However, the Max Rebo Band is the only canon jizz band in Star Wars.
Figrin D’an and the Modal Nodes were under contract as the house band at Chalmun’s Spaceport Cantina in Mos Eisley on Tatooine during the events of A New Hope.
The Max Rebo Band served as Jabba’s house band at his palace on the outskirts of Mos Espa on the planet of Tatooine during Return of the Jedi.
Figrin D’an and the Modal Nodes
Led by band leader Figrin D’an, the Model Nodes appear as the cantina band in A New Hope. They perform two songs in the film and have an extensive backstory within the Star Wars Legends universe. However, they are not considered part of the Star Wars jizz music genre in the current canon.
Comprised entirely of Bith musicians, the band includes Figrin D’an playing kloo horn and gasan string drum, Lirin Car’n on second kloo horn, Nalan Cheel on landfill, Tedn Dahai on fanfar, Sun’il Ei’de on drums, Ickabel G’ont on double Jocimer, Tech Mo’r on Ommni Box, and Doikk Na’ts on Dorenian Beshniquel.
Filmed during cantina reshoots for A New Hope, the band was played by Lucasfilm makeup artists and special effects artists Rick Backer, Doug Beswick, Laine Liska, Phil Tippett, Rick Baker, and possibly Jon Berg.
The band developed a detailed and complex backstory as part of the Expanded Universe, now Star Wars Legends.
Max Rebo Band
The Max Rebo Band originally appeared as a three-piece in the theatrical release of Return of the Jedi. The band featured female Pa’lowick singer Sy Snootles, Kitonak male Droopy McCool on Chidinkalu horn, and the Ortolan male Max Rebo on Nalargon keyboard.
For the 1997 Special Edition, the band was expanded to include Weequay male Ak-rev on thunder drums, Rodian male Doda Bodonawieedo on slitherhorn, Bith male Barquin D’an on kloo horn, Shawda Ubb musician Rappertunie on Growdi Harmonique, Klatooinian male Umpass-stay on drums, and Yuzzum male Joh Yowza on vocals.
The band also included three female backup dancers and singers, Rodian Greeata Jendowanian, Twi’lek Lyn Me, and Theelin-Human Rystáll Sant.
In the Legends universe, the Max Rebo Band formed from Evar Orbus and His Galactic Jizz-Wailers. Band leader Evar Orbus was killed during a shoot-out with fellow jizz band Figrin D’an and the Modal Nodes.
The original Max Rebo Band were all practical effects, with Simon Williamson performing Max Rebo, Deep Roy portraying Droopy McCool, and Sy Snootles performed as an elaborate puppet on set.
For the Special Edition, David Gonzalez played Ak-rev, Nelson Hall portrayed Doda Bodonawieedo, Don Bies played Barquin D’An, and Miles V. Fawkes portrayed Umpass-stay.
Rappertunie was performed as a puppet and digitally inserted into the final film. Celia Fushille-Burke, Dalyn Chew, and Mercedes Ngoh, respectively, played the backup dancers.
List of Jizz Music in Star Wars Canon
- Max Rebo Band – “Jedi Rocks”
List of Jizz Music in Star Wars Legends
- Figrin D’an and the Modal Nodes
- “Mad About Me”
- “Tears of Aquanna”
- “Dune Sea Special”
- “Worm Case”
- “The Sequential Passage of Chronological Intervals”
- “Solitary World”
- Max Rebo Band
- “Galactic Dance Blast”
- “Jedi Rocks”
- “Kick the Ranat”
- “Lapti Nek”
- “My Hearts Belong to You”
- “Ode to a Master Chef”
- “Ode to a Radioactive Ruin”
- Bobolo Baker’s All-Bith Band
- Evar Orbus and His Galactic Jizz-Wailers
- “(That Joyous Night) I Ate My Mate”
- Hutt
- Figrin D’an II and the New Modal Nodes
- The Sozzenels
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