Kitaro Biography

Kitaro Biography

Birth Name: Masanori Takahashi

Born: Jan 1, 1953 in Toyohashi, Japan
Genres: New Age Music, Electronic New Age Music, Ethnic Fusion New Age Music, Instrumental New Age Music.

Decades Active: 1970's|1980's|1990's|2000's

Kitaro was born in 1953 as Masanori Takahashi in Toyohashi, Japan. In Highschool he loved Soul and Rhythm & Blues. He learned playing E-Guitar and performed with his band "Albatross" on parties and in clubs. His biggest influence in this time was Otis Redding. "Rhythm and blues has a kind of depth, emotions how can I say it? The audience feels something like same kind of emotions from my music. My music is not rhythm and blues, but it feels like soul.

His nickname Kitaro was given to him by friends after the main characterfrom the japanese cartoon television series "Ge Ge Ge no Kitaro".
In the early '70s he changed completely to keyboards. He joined the band "Far East Family Band" and toured with them around the world. In Europe he met the german synthesizer musician and Tangerine Dream-cofounder Klaus Schulze. Schulze produced two albums for the band and expanded Kitaro's knowledge of synthesizers.
A quotation from Kitaro gives us his view on synthesizers: "With a synthesizer I could create an ocean, a winter coastline, a summer beach, a whole scene."
In 1976 Kitaro left the "Far East Family Band" and made a long trip throught asia, visiting countries like Laos, China and Thailand. In India he lived for about 6 months in Poona at the (at that time) famous ashram of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.
Back in Japan Kitaro started his solo career in 1977. The first two albums Ten Kai and From the Full Moon Story became cult favorites of fans of the nascent New Age movement. But it was his famous Soundtrack for the NHK series "Silk Road" which brought him the international attention.
He struck a worldwide distribution arrangement with Geffen Records in 1986; in 1987 he collaborated with different musicians, e.g. with Micky Hart (Grateful Dead) and Jon Andersen (Yes) and his record sales soared to 10 million worldwide.
In 1994 he won the Golden Globe Award for his soundtrack for Oliver Stones movie "Heaven & Earth". He was also nominated several times for a Grammy in the category New Age (which he won in 2001 for his album Thinking of You).
Kitaro is a star, but he is very modest. "Nature inspires me. I am only a messenger", he said. "To me, some songs are like clouds, some are like water". Since 1983 his reverence for nature leads Kitaro to annually give thanks to Mother Nature in a special "concert" on Mount Fuji or near his house in Colorado: on the day of August full moon he beats on the Taiko drum from dusk to dawn. Frequently his hands become bloodied, but he continues to pound.
From 1983 till 1990 he was married with his first wife Yuki (they have a son, Ryunosuke, who lives in Japan). They separated because Kitaro worked most time in the United States while she lived and worked in Japan. In the middle of the 90ths Kitaro married Keiko Matsubara, a musician who already played on several of his albums. With her and her son Kitaro lived in Ward, a little town outside Boulder/Colorado (USA) on a 180-acre spread in a big house with his own studio, called "Mochi House". Latest information say that Kitaro and Keiko recently moved to Occidental, a small town north of San Francisco (North California).

QING DYNASTY(1644-1911)–Wild Goose on the Peaceful Beach

The flourishing of town folk music forms the main stream of the Qing music.The folk songs and ballads,narrative
music,song-dance and instrumental music as well as the theatrical music all make a fuu development.We can find enough audio meterials about the theatrical music of that period because the genres and intonational systems were quite colorful and became more diverse which their different local features.So in this album of Qing music,we stress the instrumental music.We have selected ensembeles of strings and bamboo instruments or pieces played on other
instruments.These pieces are in various styles and to a larger extent,show the seculae tastes of the Qing music.Some of them such as the pipa pieces “Ambush All Around” and “Conqueror Xiang Yu’s Triumphant Return” are selected in consideration of presenting the differences between the northern and southern styles of pipa playing.

Tracklist
CD1:PRE0QIN,HAN,WEI AND THE SIX DYNASTIES(770BC-580AD)–Sounds Left from Ancient Times

*Chu Shang(Chime bells from Marquis Yi’s tomb and Orchestra)
*For Thoses Fallen for Their Country(Xun and Qin)
*Flowing Water(Qin solo)
*Qu Yuan Asking Way at the Freey Crossing(Chime Bells of Marqius Yi and Orchestra)
*Chu Song(Xun and Orchestra)
*18 Beats on the Hujia(Qin and song)
*The Elegant Orchid in Jieshi Tune(Chime bells and Orchestra)
*Three Variations on the Plum(Qin solo)
*Wine Frolic(Qin solo)
*Guangling Tune(Qin solo)
*Pecture of Primitive Hunting(Bone-whistle and Orchestra)
CD2:TANG DYNASTY(618-907)–The Rainbow Skirt and the Feathered Coat
*Bird Singing in Spring(Ensemble)
*Drinking Music(String-pluched ensemble)
*Spreading Golden Sand(Ensembel of Chinese musical instruments)
*Prelude of Dance Music of Imperial Palace
*Three Variations at Yngguan Pass(Qin solo)
*Bodhisattva-like Barbarians(song)
*Li Sao(Qin solo)
*Flowers and Jade Trees at Back Courtyard(song)
*Wang Zhaojun(Zheng ensemble)
*Poplars and Willows in Spring(Silk string ensemble)
*Rowing Dragon Boar(Bamboo flute solo)
*Dance of Playing Swords(Zheng solo)
*Drunkard(Silk string ensemble)
*Vast Desert(Bili and Orchestra)
*Battles Music for King Qin’s Army(Chime bells and chorus)

CD3:SONG DYNASTY(960-1279)–Shadow of Apricot Blossoms

*Xiaoxiang’s Waters and Clouds(Qin solo)
*Plums by the Ge River(Ensemble)
*Shadows of Apricot Blossoms(Song with title of ci tune)
*Jade Plum Blossoms(Ensemble)
*Love for the Red Dress(Ensembel)
*Short Drinking Music in Shang Mode(Song with title of ci tune)
*Delicate Fragrance(Ensemble)
*Scattered Shadows(Ensemble)
*Ritual Songs for Yue:Chu Tune on Emperor Shun(Song with title of ci tune)
*Jiao Shao(Ensemble)
*Zhi Shao(Ensemble)
*Song of Yangzhou in Andante(Song with title of ci tune)
*Sorrows of Paring(Ensemble)
*Ritual Song for Yue–Yue Xiang Ce Shang Tune(Song with title of ci tune)
*Light Yellow Willows(Ensemble)
*Green Pavilion Chant(Song with title of ci tune)
*Lovely Melody(Ensemble)
*Autumn Night Chant(Song with title of ci tune)
*Ancient Lament(Ensemble)
*The Immortal of Stone Lake(Ensemble)