Kitaro
Not just an icon of New Age music, Kitaro has been a leading figure in contemporary electronic music for over four decades. A Grammy– and Golden Globe–winner, Kitaro has recorded over two dozen albums, and his latest release, Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai, Volume 5, is both inspired and innovative. Kitaro creates an earthly voyage that transports the listener to the 88 sacred temples on the island of Shikoku, Japan.
Each track contains samples from ancient peace bells found in these temples, with Kitaro’s musical distillations of their essence. The tracks range from expansive to energetic, from shimmering space flights to nature-derived passages and worldly rock idioms, all presented in his universal message of peace.
Additionally, Kitaro’s new DVD, Kojiki and the Universe, is an artistic experiment and breakthrough in merging music with movies of space, in cooperation with NASA. In Japanese mythology, the Kojiki story describes the origins of Heaven, Earth, and the gods. Utilizing Kitaro’s Kojiki score as the soundtrack, Kojiki and the Universe is a mesmerizing viewing experience.
Next to Isao Tomita, Kitaro is the recognized leader in Japanese electronic music, and his famed, beautifully melodic and atmospheric creations have won him worldwide accolades from his early years with the Far East Family Band, influenced by Pink Floyd and Tangerine Dream. Kitaro’s music went viral, as it were, after his eighties soundtrack recordings for the Silk Road TV series were released. Kitaro’s world tour, Kojiki and the Universe Live, launches April 20 at The Showcase Theater at The Marin Center in San Rafael, then heads to London, Istanbul, Bucharest, and Sofia. Kitaro’s Marin show will be one of the most intimate concerts he has offered in his illustrious career! DomoMusicGroup.com
—LLOYD BARDE (LLOYDBARDE.COM)