Monday Music #23: Kitaro: Drop of Silence

Kitaro hails from Japan but nowadays splits his time between his homes near Boulder Colorado and one at the base of Mt. Fuji in Japan.  His Colorado home/studio is large enough to hold a 70 piece orchestra which plays and helps him create his music.  .  His birth name is Masanori Takahashi.  His music has been referred to as "contemplative, highly melodic synthesizer music".  His music is mostly instrumental with a variety of Asian influences and instruments.  I have enjoyed his music for a number of years.  It is good music to read to or to relax to or to help your thinking processes.  He uses synthesizers to simulate many instruments, as well as playing many of the actual instruments himself.  He plays the drums, guitar and harp, among other instruments. 

His music is described as music that is "revered for its ability to embody the human spirit with music of passion and drama".  

When Kitaro was young he wanted to have a career in music but his parents were opposed to that.  They tried to steer him in the direction that they wanted him to go by arranging for a job for him.  He responded by leaving home and supporting himself with jobs he could find while he wrote music at night.  He focused entirely on the keyboards in the 1970's joining a band called "Far East Family Band" and traveled the world playing music.  While in Europe he me Klaus Schultze of Tangerine Dream who taught him about the synthesizer.  He started his solo career starting in 1977.

He is reported as saying: "I never had education in music, I just learned to trust my ears and my feelings....This music is not from my mind. 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."

During the events of 9-11 he was in flight from Japan to Los Angeles. His plane was diverted to Honolulu for five days.  There he was inspired to begin music to help bring peace and unify the people of the world.  Some of his music since that time has used Japanese temple bells (also called peace bells) and his life work is to create 88 songs with 88 temple bells.

Kitaro's first wife was Yuki Taoka.  After their divorce he married Keiko Matsubara a musician. His son from his first marriage lives with them.

The highlighted song today comes from the album "Dream".

Kitaro: A drop of Silence