Throughout his musical career, Grammy and Golden Globe award-winning composer Kitaro has been a groundbreaking artist known for his amazing live performances and music that blurs the lines between many musical genres. Kitaro’s uniquely signature style has also been notable for inspirational messages intended to unify our cultures, consciousness and spiritual growth while also reflecting his lifetime reverence of Nature.
Six Musical Portraits is a compilation of fan favorites that includes Caravansary and the recording that earned Kitaro his first Grammy nomination, The Field, co-produced with Mickey Hart. The recordings on Six Musical Portraits has been newly remastered from the original source tapes.
| T R A C K S | 01. Dance Of Sarasvati 02. Caravansary 03. Planet 04. The Field 05. Romance 06. Sozo (Abridged)
| C R E D I T S | Arranged, Composed and Performed by Kitaro Executive Producer : Eiichi Naito Artists + Repertoire, Audio Mastering, Liner Notes : Dino Malito Album Art + Design : Kio Griffith Cover Art Photo : Osamu Matsuki
Multi-instrumentalist and pioneer in New Age music, Kitaro achieved international fame when he released one of the genre’s classic works in 1980, the album Silk Road, composed for the show of the same name, broadcast by the Japanese public channel NHK.
Masanori Takahashi, better known under the pseudonym Kitaro, was born on 4 February 1953 in Toyohashi, Japan. His nickname comes from the famous horror manga by Shigeru Mizuki, Gegege no Kitaro (1959), due to the fact that his hair is similar to that of the main character. As a child, he developed a taste for music by learning the guitar, before turning his attention to keyboards when he formed the progressive rock group The Far East Family Band.
While touring Germany with his group in 1972, he met Klaus Schulze, the drummer for Tangerine Dream, who introduced him to synthesisers and electronic rock. Kitaro subsequently embarked on a solo career, and caught the attention of the New Age community when he released his first album, Astral Voyage, in 1978. The synthesiser became his instrument of choice, allowing him to create a soaring form of electronic rock, enriched by the sounds of Asia.
Connecting people through music
He achieved international renown with Silk Road, the original soundtrack to a documentary on NHK, in which he enhanced the landscapes of the Silk Road with captivating, contemplative compositions. Several follow-ups to the album were also released and allowed Kitaro to enjoy a highly successful career.
With a record sixteen nominations for the Grammy Award for Best New Age Album, he won with Thinking Of You (1999), and received the Golden Globe for best original score for his work on Heaven and Earth (1993), directed by Oliver Stone.
Kitaro has made it his mission to connect humans through his music, which is based on the values of spirituality, love and ecology. Nature occupies an important place in his work, which links it further to the origins of the New Age movement.
A music genre influenced by Asian spirituality and sounds
A product of 1960s American counter-culture, the New Age movement was born out of the combined influence of personal development, esotericism and Asian spirituality. The music genre of the same name tends to create acoustic and electronic sounds that are conducive to meditation and inner peace. New Age music is inspired by a variety of artists who were themselves a product of multiple genres, like minimalist composers Terry Riley, Steve Reich and Philip Glass, the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, pioneers of the synthesiser like Brian Eno, Vangelis and Jean-Michel Jarre, and jazz musicians like Keith Jarrett, Paul Horn and Pat Metheny. Kitaro adds a new dimension to this music by incorporating elements of his own culture into his work, using traditional Japanese instruments like bamboo flutes (shakuhachi, shinobue, hichiriki) and taiko (Japanese drums).
A prolific artist, Kitaro has recorded dozens of albums that have sold millions of copies worldwide, such as Silver Cloud (1986), The Light Of The Spirit (1987), and Dream (1992) with Jon Anderson. The Japanese musician pursues the idea of uniting popular, traditional and classical music, and seeks to spread a message of peace and universality through compositions that relax the mind.
Kitaro’s discography is available from the Domo Music Group store.
View the full article here: https://pen-online.com/culture/kitaro-exponent-of-the-new-age/?scrolled=1
The Himemiko Project was composed and produced by Seikou Nagaoka. With this project, Seikou seeks to combine the beauty of Japanese culture through music, dance, and visuals.
As a solo artist, Seikou has released the albums “Purple” (2000) and “Romantic Gold” (2009). The track “Speed Of Love” was highly successful in the European club scene, garnering much praise from DJs such as Giles Peterson and Jazzanova.
As a composer, Seikou has written music for many movies, anime and a wide range of artists. His production credits are equally diverse, gifting him a network of musicians and lyricists working in a whole host of genres including traditional Japanese music, classical music and pop music.
Through “Land Of The Sun” by the Himemiko Project, Seikou hopes to create “music made from beautiful prayers.” Music that focuses on the harmony of the Japanese countryside – its seas, mountains, rivers and fields – and combining it with prayers for a more peaceful world. Much inspiration has been drawn from the real life Himemiko, the Saiō – the imperial princesses of old who were appointed head priestesses of the Ise Grand Shrine.
| C R E D I T S | Composed and Produced by Seikou Nagaoka Lyrics by Lynne Hobday and Seikou Nagaoka Vocals : Sakie Shitara Hichiriki : Ruriko Yamada Violin : Shuko Kobayashi Executive Producer : Eiichi Naito Artists + Repertoire: Dino Malito
LOS ANGELES (March 29, 2022) – World-renowned Grammy and Golden Globe Award-winning New Age musician Kitaro married Brazilian artist Franci Shimomaebara on February 24th. The small private ceremony was attended by close friends of the couple.
Franci and Kitaro met in 1990 at a birthday party in his home in the mountains of Colorado. After getting to know each other through the years, they began collaborating professionally. Kitaro asked her to contribute vocals to his song “The Wind,” which was featured on his Grammy-nominated 2003 album, Sacred Journey Of Ku-Kai, Volume 1.
Eventually, Kitaro and Franci worked on additional projects. In 2008, Domo Records released recordings with Franci singing the lyrics she wrote for some of Kitaro’s most famous recordings. This was done with the help of Mauro Malavassi (former producer for Andrea Bocelli).
In 2012, Domo Records also released an additional album, Symphony Of My Dreams, with Franci singing her lyrics for five more of Kitaro’s famous songs.
After twenty-two years of knowing each other and eventually collaborating on recordings, they believe this marriage had to be a fate of God.
Kitaro is currently composing new music for an upcoming project and is looking to tour in 2023.
Posted inKitaro, New Age|TaggedFranci, kitaro|Comments Off on World-renowned Grammy and Golden Globe-winning New Age musician Kitaro marries Brazilian artist Franci Shimomaebara
Beyond The Dreamsphere: Music For Helio Compass 2022 is a 52-minute grand musical score by Hiroki Okano, Japan’s leading ambient music composer. Featuring AKIRA∞IKEDA, a long-time collaborator of this series, this grand musical depiction of the year 2002 is an exploration of time and space in our solar system.
The Helio Compass music is a sonic depiction of a year, using the operation of the solar system as a grand musical score. It always starts with the Vernal Equinox. Halfway through we reach the Autumnal Equinox and complete a full-circle back in spring. The timeline of the astronomical information across the 365 days is laid out on a timescale of seconds.
Various sounds express the movements of the sun, moon, and planets, such as the 24 seasonal divisions, the moon phases and planetary alignments. As a lifetime can be sensed in one single breath, a vast spacetime is packed into one single recording. The sound of waves, coral, and crystal from the Amami Oshima and Hawaii island appear on this recording that will connect the listener to the history of our planet.
“After six collaborations with HELIO COMPASS, I am convinced. In the vastness of space, we are standing on this earth. Now at this very moment, we are traveling through the universe. Our soul has experienced pain and joy thousands of times. We have hurt and we have loved. I feel that the universe allows for all things, good and bad. If the law of immortality of energy is true, then our soul is also eternal. Let us release into space the eternal now.” –Hiroki Okano
| C R E D I T S | Music by Hiroki Okano featuring Akira ∞ Ikeda Natural Sound Design : Hiroki Okano Natural Sound Recording : Joe Okuda, Satoru Nakada and Hiroki Okano Sound Programming : Hiroki Okano & Hiroaki Recording & Mixing : Hiroki Okano (Ambience Studio) Mastering : Hiroki Okano & Daichi Yuhara (Studio You)
Featuring Special Guests Jon Anderson and Jake Shimabukuro New single “In All Of Time” out tomorrow
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – As the 10th season of the critically acclaimed live music series “Front And Center” concludes, New Age vocalist Sangeeta Kaur joins from Los Angeles for a special performance premiering this Sunday, September 19.
While traveling the world as an operatic vocalist, Kaur was introduced to the power of spiritual mantra as well as the discipline of yogic practices that have influenced her musical expression. Her performance for “Front And Center” showcases her innovation and creativity, merging classical and contemporary music approaches for a performance enhanced by gorgeous visuals, graphics and costuming.
The concert features a guest appearance by Jon Anderson of YES on the world premiere of his song “Sun and Rain” as well as world-class ukulele player Jake Shimabukuro and world class backing musicians who have worked with Wings, Jimmy Buffett and more icons of the industry. The set includes Sangeeta’s original composition “In All of Time” and a stunning rendition of “Les Feuilles Mortes,” set in a virtual magical forest.
“I am excited and honored to share my music on Season 10 of Front and Center!” shares Kaur. “I believe that there are many layers and frequencies in every song. I often remind myself that I have the power to choose the frequency my music will broadcast into this world. So, I hope that my show will promote love, healing, and positivity for those who watch and listen, because right now our world needs so much of this.”
“Thanks to Sangeeta for closing out season 10 for us,” shares Executive Producer Don Maggi. “Her performance and the special appearances from Jon Anderson and Jake Shimabukuro really make it a special conclusion for a fantastic season.”
The Making of “Sangeeta Kaur and Friends” on Front and Center
Due out September 17, just days before the television special begins airing nationwide, Kaur’s new single, “In All of Time,” is stunning proof that the classical crossover/New Age star is transcending all musical boundaries. Kaur, who produced the luminous track along with renowned virtuoso pianist Van Anh Nguyen and celebrated producer/DJ Mark Olsen, has created a timeless, universal love song, one that could be applied to both a beloved human partner and a higher being. Steeped in passion, the song envelopes listeners with its sweeping mix of classical pop, modern electronics, and a widescreen cinematic spirituality, and through it all there is Kaur’s magical voice flooding the senses and enriching the soul. Pre-order the single HERE.
All episodes from season 10 of “Front And Center” will be available on YouTube, including an archival concert by the late legend Glen Campbell, along with several of Nashville’s biggest stars performing from Analog at Hutton Hotel: Grand Ole Opry member Dustin Lynch; Country Music Association Triple Play Award winner Brantley Gilbert; ACM and CMA reigning Vocal Group of the Year Old Dominion; five-time GRAMMY® Award winners Lady A; CMA Award-winning Country duo Maddie & Tae; and nine-time GRAMMY nominee John Hiatt with Jerry Douglas and special guest Tommy Emmanuel.
“Front And Center” is a production of Front and Center, LLC and is distributed nationally by American Public Television. Episodes will also be available to watch on the “Front And Center” YouTube page. For more information and to watch prior seasons featuring artists including Santana, Jack Johnson, Shawn Mendes, Sheryl Crow, Seal, Hozier, Miranda Lambert and more, visit frontandcenter.com. Follow “Front And Center” on social media on Facebook @FrontAndCenterTV, on Twitter @frontandcenter and on Instagram @frontandcenterTV.
Episodes of “Front And Center” Season 10: August 1 – Glen Campbell August 8 – Dustin Lynch August 15 – Brantley Gilbert August 22 – Old Dominion August 29 – Lady A September 5 – Maddie & Tae September 12 – John Hiatt with Jerry Douglas and special guest Tommy Emmanuel September 19 – Sangeeta Kaur with special guests Jon Anderson and Jake Shimabukuro
About Sangeeta Kaur Throughout her body of work, Sangeeta – an incandescent performer and multimedia artist whose dramatic vocal range renders listeners in a state of blissful awe – has brought disparate worlds together and has transformed them into something astonishingly unique. Often called a “classical crossover” star, she fuses her background in opera, sacred mantra and yoga with a taste for contemporary pop and a keen narrative sense, resulting in a sound experience that is thrillingly unique and profoundly inspirational. Through a series of award-winning albums – Ascension, Mirrors, Compassion, and last year’s stunning release Illuminance – Sangeeta followed her own muse and bridged genres: thrilling operatic arias, rousing musical theater, enveloping New Age soundscapes, sacred mantra sung in multiple languages, even elements of children’s music and contemporary pop. Sangeeta has collaborated with Peter Kater, Jon Anderson, Narada Michael Walden, Jake Shimabukuro, and will be touring in the coming months in support of her upcoming television special and new music.
About American Public Television American Public Television (APT) is the leading syndicator of high-quality, top-rated programming to the nation’s public television stations. Founded in 1961, APT distributes 250 new program titles per year and more than one-third of the top 100 highest-rated public television titles in the U.S. APT’s diverse catalog includes prominent documentaries, performance, dramas, how-to programs, classic movies, children’s series and news and current affairs programs. “Doc Martin,” “Midsomer Murders,” “America’s Test Kitchen From Cook’s Illustrated,” “AfroPoP,” “Rick Steves’ Europe,” “Pacific Heartbeat,” “Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Television,” “Legacy List with Matt Paxton,” “Lidia’s Kitchen,” “Kevin Belton’s New Orleans Kitchen,” “Simply Ming,” “The Best of the Joy of Painting” with Bob Ross, “Live From the Artists Den,” James Patterson’s “Kid Stew” and “NHK Newsline” are a sampling of APT’s programs, considered some of the most popular on public television. APT also licenses programs internationally through its APT Worldwide service and distributes Create®TV — featuring the best of public television’s lifestyle programming — and WORLD™, public television’s premier news, science and documentary channel. To find out more about APT’s programs and services, visit APTonline.org.
“Sayake” is a theme song composed by Kitaro for the Togakushi Festival in the spring of 2021.
The Togakushi Shrine, located in the mountainous region of the Nagano Prefecture, is considered one of Japan’s most sacred locations. For centuries, many worshipers from all parts of the country have traveled to this Shinto shrine to revere this unique power spot.
Every seven years, the Togakushi Shrine hosts its largest festival. The theme for this year’s ceremony is “Sayake,” which observes the return to purity in the face of the current world pandemic. Kitaro, a native to this region, contributed to this sacred ceremony with the creation and performance of this composition.
Sangeeta Kaur’s new single, “In All of Time,” is stunning proof that the classical crossover/New Age star is transcending all musical boundaries. Kaur, who produced the luminous track along with renowned Australian-Vietnamese chart topping pianist and composer, Van Anh Nguyen and celebrated producer/DJ Mark Olsen, has created a timeless, universal love song. Steeped in passion, the song envelopes listeners with its sweeping mix of classical pop, modern electronics and a widescreen cinematic spirituality, and through it all there is Kaur’s magical voice flooding the senses and enriching the soul. Working with her chief engineer, Gerhard Joost, Kaur recorded her vocals and mixed the track at her brand-new Studio Hill facility in Austin, Texas.
On September 19, “In All of Time” will have its premiere on “Front and Center: Sangeeta Kaur and Friends,” as part of the award-winning PBS series’ 10th season.
| M U S I C I A N S | Sangeeta Kaur – vocals Van Anh Nguyen – piano Mark Olsen – programming and drums Filip Pogady – violin Mark Bassett – cello Laurence Juber – guitar
Long before Dave Eggar was renowned as a world class cellist, writing, performing and recording for years with Amy Lee and Evanescence, enrapturing us with his solo intro to Coldplay’s #1 smash “Viva La Vida,” touring with American Idol winner Phillip Phillips and conducting symphony orchestras on tour with Foreigner, he quietly launched a solo career as a composer/pianist, releasing the solo piano albums Serenity (1998) and Angelic Embrace (2002).
The downtime during the pandemic allowed him time for quiet reflection and a full circle return to the simplicity and purity of his roots – a creatively empowering experience that led to the creation of his new perfectly titled solo piano collection, Awakening. It is Eggar’s fifth release on Domo Records, a discography that includes those first two albums as well as Left of Blue (2005) and Kingston Morning (2010).
Awakening was produced by Chuck Palmer, a prolific drummer/percussionist songwriter, engineer and arranger who served as orchestral conductor and percussionist on the Foreigner tours. Featuring Eggar working his transcendent magic on a Steinway B, it was recorded and engineered by Davis Hart at Pulp Arts in Gainesville, FL. The album’s impressionistic sunsplashed artwork was created by Robert Redford’s wife, German born multimedia environmental artist Sibylle Szaggars.
| T R A C K S | 01. Awakening 02. Faded Memory 03. Through The Glass 04. Beyond 05. Forest Afternoon 06. Diamonds 07. My Simple Gift 08. Russian Winter 09. Arise 10. Fallen Leaves 11. Bristol Morning 12. Coming Home (featuring Avalona) 13. Earth Story 14. New Dawn (featuring Priya Darshini and Will Calhoun)
