Kitarō (喜多郎) (born Masanori Takahashi (高橋正則 Takahashi Masanori) on February 4, 1953, in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, Japan) is a composer and multi-instrumentalist.
Early life
Inspired by the R&B music of Otis Redding, Kitaro taught himself how to play guitar. He says of teaching himself, "I never had education in music, I just learned to trust my ears and my feelings." He gives credit for his creations to a power beyond himself. "This music is not from my mind," he said. "It is from heaven, going through my body and out my fingers through composing. Sometimes I wonder. I never practice. I don't read or write music, but my fingers move. I wonder, 'Whose song is this?' I write my songs, but they are not my songs."
While attending Toyohashi Commercial High School, he organized the "Albatross" band with his friends. At that time, they performed in parties and clubs. "In high school, I was in an amateur band. I started out playing the guitar but then changed to the keyboards. Before one of our gigs, the drummer was injured. I had no experience at all on the drums, but I had to learn it because I was the leader of the band, and we had to do the gig. My drumming was not very good, but we got through the show in one piece. Later, the bassist had injuries, so I had to learn how to play the bass. The main reasons why I can play all these instruments; I had a crash course in how to play them. It was a hard time for me, but a very good experience. It created the base knowledge of all the instruments I use and need to create my current brand of music. After graduating, I really wanted to be in the music business, so I moved to Tokyo and started looking for bands to play with. I basically did it for the experience and to get a feel of all the clubs that were available in Tokyo and Yokohama. At that time I played keyboards, and then I discovered the synthesizer. This was a revelation. First of all, the instructions for the thing were in English so I couldn't read them. I was trying to make sounds but couldn't! I tried for a whole day, but no sound ever came out because I didn't know how to program it or set it up. Finally, the first sound I got off this thing was a wind-like sound, but I was so elated that I actually made some noise, it didn't matter. I turned one of the knobs slowly to make more wind-like noises. Then I decided to buy another synthesizer to form a different type of sound. I just loved the analog sound that it made compared to today's digital sound. Now, my equipment and synthesizers are all analog. But technically, digital is much easier to use for editing and other stuff."[citation needed]
His parents were first opposed to the idea of their son having a musical career. They had other plans for him and in an attempt to get him to see their way, made arrangements for him to take a job at a local company. However he left home without telling them before. He supported himself by taking on several part time jobs such as cooking and civil service work while composing songs at night.
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 former Tangerine Dream member Klaus Schulze. Schulze produced two albums for the band and gave Kitaro some tips for the use of synthesizers.
In 1976 he left the band and travelled through Asia (China, Laos, Thailand, India).
Solo career
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. He performed his first symphonic concert at the 'Small Hall' of the Kosei Nenkin Kaikan in Shinjuku, Tokyo. During this concert Kitaro used a synthesizer to recreate the sounds of 40 different instruments, a world's first. 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 Anderson (Yes). In 1988 his record sales soared to 10 million worldwide. He was nominated twice for a Grammy award and his soundtrack for the movie "Heaven & Earth" won the award for best original score. He won another grammy award for his album Thinking of You in 2001.
Personal life
Kitaro is very modest. "Nature inspires me. I am only a messenger", he has said. "To me, some songs are like clouds, some are like water".[citation needed] Since 1983, his reverence for nature has led 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 the full moon of August he beats on the Taiko drum from dusk to dawn. Frequently his hands become bloodied, but he continues to pound.
From 1983 until 1990 Kitaro was married to his first wife, Yuki Taoka. Yuki is a daughter of Kazuo Taoka, godfather of Yamaguchi-gumi, the largest Yakuza syndicate. Kitaro and Yuki have a son, Ryunosuke, who lives in Japan. They reportedly separated because Kitaro worked mostly in the United States while Yuki lived and worked in Japan. In the mid-nineties, Kitaro 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 (730,000 m²) spread and composed in his 2500 square foot (230 m²) home studio "Mochi House" (it is large enough to hold a 70 piece orchestra). Kitaro and Keiko recently relocated to Occidental, California.
Other works
He has also worked with guitarist Marty Friedman, formerly of Megadeth, on the "Scenes" album.
Kitaro composed the soundtrack of the Oliver Stone film Heaven and Earth.
It is said that Kitaro was denied entry to Singapore during very early times due to the length of his hair.
Discography:
1978 - Ten Kai/Astral Voyage/Astral Voyager/Astral Trip
1979 - Full Moon Story/Daichi
1979 - Oasis
1980 - Silk Road (a.k.a. The Soghdian Merchants on VHS)
1980 - Silk Road II
1980 - In Person Digital
1980 - Silk Road Suite
1981 - Silk Road III: Tunhuang (Japanese original title: Tonko)
1981 - Best of Kitaro vol 1
1981 - World of Kitaro
1981 - Ki1982 - Millennia (Queen Millennia movie soundtrack)
1983 - Silk Road IV: Tenjiku/India
1984 - Silver Cloud/Cloud
1984 - Live in Asia/Asia Super Tour Live/Asia
1986 - Toward the West
1986 - Tenku
1987 - Light of the Spirit
1988 - Ten Years/Best of Ten Years
1990 - Kojiki
1991 - Live in America
1992 - Dream/Lady of Dreams
1993 - Heaven and Earth
1994 - Mandala
1995 - An Enchanted Evening - Live
1996 - Peace On Earth
1997 - Cirque Ingenieux
1998 - Gaia-Onbashira
1999 - Best of Kitaro vol 2
1999 - Thinking of You
2000 - The Soong Sisters
2001 - Ancient
2002 - An Ancient Journey
2002 - Daylight, Moonlight in Yakushiji - Live
2003 - Best of Silk Road
2003 - Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai
2004 - Shikoku 88 Places
2005 - Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai Volume 2
2006 - Spiritual Garden
2007 - Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai Volume 3
Other albums
Asian Cafe/Ashu Chakan (Best Of)
All Roads Lead To Rome
Across The Karakum Desert
Across The Pamir
Dansu
Deep Forest
Endless Journey
Healing Forest (Best Of)
Ninja Scroll (Soundtrack)
In SilentIn Search Of Wisdom
Journey To The Heart IJourney To The Heart II
Journey To The Heart III
Journey To The Heart IV
Kaiso (Kitaro's World Of Music)
Karuna (Kitaro's World Of Music)
Mu Land
Mizu Ni Inorte
Morning Light
Music For The Spirit Vol. 1
Music For The Spirit Vol. 2
Music For The Spirit Vol. 3
Music For The Spirit Vol. 4
Nile (Single, 2001)
Six Musical Portraits
Tamayura (DVD)
Tento Chi
Tokusen 1
Tokusen 2
Vertigo
Yakushi-Ji
Kitaro with Others
Far East Family Band - Far Out (1973)
Far East Family Band - The Cave Down To Earth (1974)
Far East Family Band - Nipponjin (1975)
Far East Family Band - Parallel World (1976)
Far East Family Band - Tenkujin (1977)
Gyoto Monks - Gyoto Monks
Gyoto Monks - Freedom Chants From The Roof Of The World
Early life
Inspired by the R&B music of Otis Redding, Kitaro taught himself how to play guitar. He says of teaching himself, "I never had education in music, I just learned to trust my ears and my feelings." He gives credit for his creations to a power beyond himself. "This music is not from my mind," he said. "It is from heaven, going through my body and out my fingers through composing. Sometimes I wonder. I never practice. I don't read or write music, but my fingers move. I wonder, 'Whose song is this?' I write my songs, but they are not my songs."
While attending Toyohashi Commercial High School, he organized the "Albatross" band with his friends. At that time, they performed in parties and clubs. "In high school, I was in an amateur band. I started out playing the guitar but then changed to the keyboards. Before one of our gigs, the drummer was injured. I had no experience at all on the drums, but I had to learn it because I was the leader of the band, and we had to do the gig. My drumming was not very good, but we got through the show in one piece. Later, the bassist had injuries, so I had to learn how to play the bass. The main reasons why I can play all these instruments; I had a crash course in how to play them. It was a hard time for me, but a very good experience. It created the base knowledge of all the instruments I use and need to create my current brand of music. After graduating, I really wanted to be in the music business, so I moved to Tokyo and started looking for bands to play with. I basically did it for the experience and to get a feel of all the clubs that were available in Tokyo and Yokohama. At that time I played keyboards, and then I discovered the synthesizer. This was a revelation. First of all, the instructions for the thing were in English so I couldn't read them. I was trying to make sounds but couldn't! I tried for a whole day, but no sound ever came out because I didn't know how to program it or set it up. Finally, the first sound I got off this thing was a wind-like sound, but I was so elated that I actually made some noise, it didn't matter. I turned one of the knobs slowly to make more wind-like noises. Then I decided to buy another synthesizer to form a different type of sound. I just loved the analog sound that it made compared to today's digital sound. Now, my equipment and synthesizers are all analog. But technically, digital is much easier to use for editing and other stuff."[citation needed]
His parents were first opposed to the idea of their son having a musical career. They had other plans for him and in an attempt to get him to see their way, made arrangements for him to take a job at a local company. However he left home without telling them before. He supported himself by taking on several part time jobs such as cooking and civil service work while composing songs at night.
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 former Tangerine Dream member Klaus Schulze. Schulze produced two albums for the band and gave Kitaro some tips for the use of synthesizers.
In 1976 he left the band and travelled through Asia (China, Laos, Thailand, India).
Solo career
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. He performed his first symphonic concert at the 'Small Hall' of the Kosei Nenkin Kaikan in Shinjuku, Tokyo. During this concert Kitaro used a synthesizer to recreate the sounds of 40 different instruments, a world's first. 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 Anderson (Yes). In 1988 his record sales soared to 10 million worldwide. He was nominated twice for a Grammy award and his soundtrack for the movie "Heaven & Earth" won the award for best original score. He won another grammy award for his album Thinking of You in 2001.
Personal life
Kitaro is very modest. "Nature inspires me. I am only a messenger", he has said. "To me, some songs are like clouds, some are like water".[citation needed] Since 1983, his reverence for nature has led 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 the full moon of August he beats on the Taiko drum from dusk to dawn. Frequently his hands become bloodied, but he continues to pound.
From 1983 until 1990 Kitaro was married to his first wife, Yuki Taoka. Yuki is a daughter of Kazuo Taoka, godfather of Yamaguchi-gumi, the largest Yakuza syndicate. Kitaro and Yuki have a son, Ryunosuke, who lives in Japan. They reportedly separated because Kitaro worked mostly in the United States while Yuki lived and worked in Japan. In the mid-nineties, Kitaro 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 (730,000 m²) spread and composed in his 2500 square foot (230 m²) home studio "Mochi House" (it is large enough to hold a 70 piece orchestra). Kitaro and Keiko recently relocated to Occidental, California.
Other works
He has also worked with guitarist Marty Friedman, formerly of Megadeth, on the "Scenes" album.
Kitaro composed the soundtrack of the Oliver Stone film Heaven and Earth.
It is said that Kitaro was denied entry to Singapore during very early times due to the length of his hair.
Discography:
1978 - Ten Kai/Astral Voyage/Astral Voyager/Astral Trip
1979 - Full Moon Story/Daichi
1979 - Oasis
1980 - Silk Road (a.k.a. The Soghdian Merchants on VHS)
1980 - Silk Road II
1980 - In Person Digital
1980 - Silk Road Suite
1981 - Silk Road III: Tunhuang (Japanese original title: Tonko)
1981 - Best of Kitaro vol 1
1981 - World of Kitaro
1981 - Ki1982 - Millennia (Queen Millennia movie soundtrack)
1983 - Silk Road IV: Tenjiku/India
1984 - Silver Cloud/Cloud
1984 - Live in Asia/Asia Super Tour Live/Asia
1986 - Toward the West
1986 - Tenku
1987 - Light of the Spirit
1988 - Ten Years/Best of Ten Years
1990 - Kojiki
1991 - Live in America
1992 - Dream/Lady of Dreams
1993 - Heaven and Earth
1994 - Mandala
1995 - An Enchanted Evening - Live
1996 - Peace On Earth
1997 - Cirque Ingenieux
1998 - Gaia-Onbashira
1999 - Best of Kitaro vol 2
1999 - Thinking of You
2000 - The Soong Sisters
2001 - Ancient
2002 - An Ancient Journey
2002 - Daylight, Moonlight in Yakushiji - Live
2003 - Best of Silk Road
2003 - Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai
2004 - Shikoku 88 Places
2005 - Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai Volume 2
2006 - Spiritual Garden
2007 - Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai Volume 3
Other albums
Asian Cafe/Ashu Chakan (Best Of)
All Roads Lead To Rome
Across The Karakum Desert
Across The Pamir
Dansu
Deep Forest
Endless Journey
Healing Forest (Best Of)
Ninja Scroll (Soundtrack)
In SilentIn Search Of Wisdom
Journey To The Heart IJourney To The Heart II
Journey To The Heart III
Journey To The Heart IV
Kaiso (Kitaro's World Of Music)
Karuna (Kitaro's World Of Music)
Mu Land
Mizu Ni Inorte
Morning Light
Music For The Spirit Vol. 1
Music For The Spirit Vol. 2
Music For The Spirit Vol. 3
Music For The Spirit Vol. 4
Nile (Single, 2001)
Six Musical Portraits
Tamayura (DVD)
Tento Chi
Tokusen 1
Tokusen 2
Vertigo
Yakushi-Ji
Kitaro with Others
Far East Family Band - Far Out (1973)
Far East Family Band - The Cave Down To Earth (1974)
Far East Family Band - Nipponjin (1975)
Far East Family Band - Parallel World (1976)
Far East Family Band - Tenkujin (1977)
Gyoto Monks - Gyoto Monks
Gyoto Monks - Freedom Chants From The Roof Of The World
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