Kitarō
Kitaro 喜多郎 | |
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Nippon Columbia |
Kitarō (喜多郎), born Masanori Takahashi (高橋 正則) (February 4, 1953), is a Japanese recording artist, composer, record producer, and arranger noted for his
Early life: 1954–76
Masanori Takahashi was born in
In high school Kitarō played electric guitar in a band that played American rhythm and blues of Otis Redding and covers by The Beatles.[1][7][8] After graduating, and learning to play drums and bass,[6] Kitaro moved to Tokyo to experience and become a part of the music scene, and it was there that he discovered the synthesizer. His first synthesizer was analog, and he recalls having "just loved the analog sound that it made compared to today's digital sound".
In the early 1970s, he changed completely to keyboard and joined the Japanese
Solo career: 1977–present
Back in Japan, Kitaro started his solo career in 1977. The first two albums
Silk Road
1984–1993
In 1984, Kitaro embarked on a "Live in Asia" tour. Notably, he was forced to cancel a leg in
He entered into a worldwide distribution arrangement with
In 1987, he collaborated with
1994–present
Domo Records
Since his 1994 debut for
Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai series
Kitaro’s music has long been recognized for its messages of peace and spirituality. In the wake of
Impressions of the West Lake
In 2007, Kitaro composed the music for Impression West Lake, a large-scale opera, directed by the renowned Chinese film director Zhang Yimou. The opera reflects Hangzhou city’s history and culture through music and dance.[6] Using modern technology, the stage is 75 centimeters below the lake’s surface during the day so as not to affect the landscape and boating activities. In the evening, the stage is a few centimeters below the lake’s surface so actors can walk and perform freely over a surprising water mirror that compose with the lights and colors. The one-hour event had its opening night in March 2007.[16] In 2009, Domo Records released the original soundtrack album Impressions of the West Lake which was nominated for the Grammy in Best New Age Album category.[3]
Recent projects
Kitaro's latest studio album is
Touring and other activities
In 2007 to 2009, he launched the "Love and Peace World Tour," an international tour with which Kitaro hoped to inspire his message of world peace with his music. Kitaro toured Southeast Asia in 2007, Greece in 2008 and Hong Kong, Japan, Southeast Asia in 2009. During his visit to Greece, Kitaro met Greek composer Vangelis, and exchanged musical experience and creative ideas.
In 2010, Kitaro performed in Singapore in March, in Mexico for the Zacatecas Cultural Festival in April,
Personal life
From around 1983 to 1990, Kitarō was married to Yuki Taoka, daughter of Kazuo Taoka. They have a son. In the early 1990s, he moved from Japan to the United States.[5][14] In the mid-1990s, he married Keiko Matsubara, a musician who played on several of his albums. Along with Keiko's son, the couple lived in Ward, Colorado, on a 180-acre (72.85 hectare) spread and composed in his 2500-square-foot (230 m²) home studio "Mochi House" (it is large enough to hold a 70-piece orchestra).[20] Around 2005, they relocated to Sebastopol, California. Kitaro subsequently divorced Keiko (you can see her absence from the performances during 2020-2021 period). On 24 February 2022, he married Brazil-born, ethnically Japanese artist Franci Shimomaebara[21][22] in a private ceremony attended by friends and relatives. They had met in 1990, and after becoming friends worked together on The Wind, which was featured on Kitarō's Grammy-nominated 2003 album, Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai, Volume 1. In 2012 they collaborated on the album Symphony of my Dreams where Franci recorded vocal renditions of some of Kitarō’s famous pieces, including Silk Road.[23]
Discography
- Studio albums
- Tenkai (1978)
- Daichi (1979)
- Oasis (1979)
- Ki (1981)
- Silver Cloud (1983)
- Toward the West (1985)
- Tenku (1986)
- The Light of the Spirit (1987)
- Kojiki(1990)
- Dream (1992)
- Mandala (1994)
- Peace on Earth (1996)
- Cirque Ingenieux (1997)
- Gaia-Onbashira (1998)
- Thinking of You (1999)
- Ancient(2001)
- An Ancient Journey (2002)
- Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai Vol. 1(2003)
- Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai Vol. 2(2005)
- Spiritual Garden(2006)
- Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai Vol. 3(2007)
- Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai Vol. 4(2010)
- Final Call (2013)
- Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai Vol. 5 (2017)
Tours
- 1986: "Japan Tour" (17 cities)
- 1987: "1st North American Tour" (24 cities, 26 shows)
- 1989: "1st Europe Tour" (15 cities, 16 shows)
- 1990: "Kojiki World Tour" U.S., Japan, Europe (39 cities, 41 shows)
- 1992: "Dream World Tour" U.S., Japan, Asia
- 1992: "Her Majestry Queen" Sirikit Birthday Anniversary Concert, in Bangkok, Thailand
- 1994: "The Kitaro Mandala World Tour" Latin America Tour (4 cities, 6 shows)
- 1994: "The Kitaro Mandala World Tour" The USA Tour (32 shows)
- 1995: "Southeast Asia tour" (4 cities, 9 shows)
- 1995: "Kitaro Enchanted Evening Tour" (22 cities, 22 shows)
- 1997: "Kitaro's Peace on Earth Holiday Tour" in USA (5 cities, 5 shows)
- 1998: "Europe Tour" (13 cities)
- 1999: "Kitaro 1999 New Millennium World Tour in USA" (21cities)
- 1999: "Kitaro 1999 New Millennium World Tour in South America"
- 2000: "Kitaro Asia 2000" in Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong
- 2002: "The Silk Road Tour in USA" (6 cities)
- 2002: "The concert for 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Japan and China" in China (2 cities)
- 2004: "Asia Tour 2004" (7 cities, 8 shows)
- 2007: "Love & Peace World Tour 2007" in Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand
- 2008: "Love & Peace World Tour 2008" in Athens
- 2009: "Love & Peace Planet Music Tour 2009" in Malaysia, Singapore, India, Japan, Hong Kong
- 2009: "31st Harmony Festival" in Santa Rosa, California
- 2009: "Silk Road Arts Festival" in Hong Kong, China
- 2010: "Love & Peace Planet Music Tour 2010" in Singapore
- 2010: "Zacatecas Cultural Festival" in Mexico
- 2010: "Opening Ceremony for 32nd Harmony Festival" in Santa Rosa, California
- 2010: "Opening Event of Daming Palace National Heritage Park" in Xi'an, China
- 2010: "Thousand Drums Event at COP10 for Convention on Biological Diversity" in Aichi, Japan
- 2010: "Asian Art Museum" in San Francisco, California
- 2011: "Silk Road East & West Tour" in Bangkok, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Singapore and Malaysia
- 2011: "Closing Ceremony for 33rd Harmony Festival" in Santa Rosa, California
- 2011: "Opening Ceremony for Musicians United For Safe Energy (MUSE) Benefit Concert" in Mountain View, California
- 2012: "Festival International Farosor 2012" in Montevideo, Uruguay
- 2014: "Symphonic World Tour 2014"
Awards
Grammy Awards
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1987 |
The Field | Best New Age Performance | Nominated |
1990 |
Kojiki |
Best New Age Album |
Nominated |
1992 |
Dream | Best New Age Album | Nominated |
1994 |
Mandala | Best New Age Album | Nominated |
1995 |
An Enchanted Evening |
Best New Age Album | Nominated |
1998 |
Gaia Onbashira | Best New Age Album | Nominated |
1999 |
Thinking Of You | Best New Age Album | Won |
2002 |
Ancient |
Best New Age Album | Nominated |
2003 |
An Ancient Journey | Best New Age Album | Nominated |
2004 |
Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai Volume 1 |
Best New Age Album | Nominated |
2006 |
Sacred Journey Of Ku-Kai Volume 2 |
Best New Age Album | Nominated |
2008 |
Sacred Journey Of Ku-Kai Volume 3 |
Best New Age Album | Nominated |
2009 |
Impressions Of The West Lake | Best New Age Album | Nominated |
2011 |
Sacred Journey Of Ku-Kai Volume 4 |
Best New Age Album | Nominated |
2013 |
Final Call | Best New Age Album | Nominated |
2014 |
Symphony Live In Istanbul |
Best New Age Album | Nominated |
2017 |
Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai Vol. 5 |
Best New Age Album | Nominated |
Golden Globes
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1993 | Heaven & Earth | Best Original Score | Won |
Golden Horse Award (Hong Kong) Kitaro and Randy Miller won a Golden Horse Award for Best Original Score for the film Soong Sisters in 1997.[24]
Hong Kong Film Award Kitaro was nominated at the Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Original Film Score for Homecoming in 1985.[25] Kitaro and Randy Miller won a Hong Kong Film Award for Best Original Score for Soong Sisters in 1998.[24]
Japan Gold Disc Kitaro won a
See also
References
- ^ Allmusic. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
- ^ a b c d "喜多郎" [Kitarō]. Nihon Jinmei Daijiten (日本人名大辞典) (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2012. Archived from the original on 2007-08-25. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Kitaro". Domo Music Group. Retrieved 2015-09-29.
- ^ a b c Bonzai, Mr. (December 2007). "Kitaro's Sacred Journey". Keyboard. 33 (12): 38, 40, 42.
- ^ a b c Steven Rea (April 22, 1990). "Kitaro: The Japanese Sage Of New-age Sound". Philly.com. Retrieved August 24, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e Andrew (July 22, 2010). "Kitaro Interview". J-Pop World. Retrieved August 24, 2016.
- ^ a b c d Amy Duncan (April 14, 1987). "Composer Kitaro gaining attention in US. Japan's leading New Age artist says music should 'set one free'". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved August 24, 2016.
- ^ Don Heckman (January 3, 1994). "Kitaro Brings Heavenly Touch to 'Earth' : Music: The New Age composer worked a year and a half on the film, trying to capture the Asian feeling Oliver Stone was looking for". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 24, 2016.
- ^ "Interview with Klaus Schulze". November 1994. Retrieved August 24, 2016.
- ^ 喜多郎 キタロウ. "喜多郎 / DIAA株式会社". Diaa.net. Archived from the original on 2014-02-06. Retrieved 2014-02-04.
- ^ 50 Years of NHK Television (1980-04-07). "50 Years of NHK Television". Nhk.or.jp. Retrieved 2014-02-04.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "18th Galaxy Award Winners". houkon.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on June 20, 2017. Retrieved August 24, 2016.
- ^ "Refund for Kitaro's shows". The Straits Times. September 14, 1984. p. 10.
- ^ a b Steve Appleford (October 28, 1994). "Playing to Emotions : Kitaro brings his New Age blend of rock, classical and folk to Universal Amphitheatre". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 24, 2016.
- ^ "Kitaro to move heaven and earth at Taipei show". The China Post. November 7, 2007. Retrieved 17 March 2012.
- ^ "Impression West Lake". Hangzhou Impression West Lake Culture Development Co. LTD. Archived from the original on 21 May 2012. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
- ^ "Kitaro conquistó a miles en Zacatecas". zacatecasonline.com. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
- ^ "Kitaro at Daming Palace National Heritage Park". bandsintown.com. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
- ^ "图:郑少秋汪明荃携手喜多郎举办演唱会". hexun.com. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
- ^ Zwiebel, Richard (August 1996). "Kitaro's Recording Studio". Mix. 20 (8): 52–54, 56–58.. Describes the Mochi House studio.
- ^ https://francisongs.com/about3/
- ^ https://discovernikkei.org/en/journal/2015/4/30/franci/
- ^ https://www.prdistribution.com/news/world-renowned-grammy-and-golden-globe-winning-new-age-musician-kitaro-marries-brazilian-artist-franci-shimomaebara/9082760
- ^ a b "The Soong Sisters (1997) : Awards". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2015-09-29.
- ^ "Kitarô : Awards". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2015-09-29.
- ^ "第5回日本ゴールドディスク大賞 / Gold Disc Hall of Fame 5th|The Gold Disc". Golddisc.jp. Retrieved 2014-02-04.
External links
- Kitaro's Official Website (English)
- Kitaro's Official Channel on YouTube
- Kitarō discography at Discogs
- Kitarō at IMDb