Early career and breakthrough
Kitaro was born as Masanori Takahashi in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, Japan in 1953. He started playing guitar at the age of 15, inspired by the Beatles. He later joined a local rock band called Albatross, where he played keyboards and guitar. In 1972, he met the synthesizer player and producer Yuhki Nakajima, who invited him to join his band Far Out (later renamed Far East Family Band). The band was influenced by progressive rock and electronic music, especially by Pink Floyd and Tangerine Dream. Kitaro contributed to four albums by the band: The Cave Down to Earth (1974), Nipponjin (1975), Parallel World (1976), and Tenkujin (1977). He also released his first solo album in 1978, titled Tenkai (Astral Voyage), which was a concept album based on the reincarnation of a soul. The album showcased his talent for creating atmospheric and melodic synthesizer music.
In 1979, Kitaro was commissioned by NHK to compose the soundtrack for the documentary series Silk Road, which explored the ancient trade route that connected Asia and Europe. The series was a huge success and exposed Kitaro's music to a wider audience. He released several albums based on the soundtrack, such as Silk Road Suite (1980), Silk Road Vol. 1 (1980), Silk Road Vol. 2 (1980), Tunhuang (1981), India (1983), and Asia (1984). These albums featured his signature blend of synthesizers, traditional instruments, natural sounds, and ethnic vocals. He also experimented with different styles and genres, such as ambient, world music, classical, and rock.
International fame and recognition
In 1985, Kitaro moved to the United States and signed with Geffen Records. He released several albums that expanded his musical horizons and gained him more popularity in the West. Some of these albums were Toward the West (1985), Tenku (1986), The Light of the Spirit (1987) (with Mickey Hart of Grateful Dead), Kojiki (1990) (based on the Japanese creation myth), Dream (1992) (with Jon Anderson of Yes), Mandala (1994), Gaia - Onbashira (1998) (inspired by a Japanese festival), and Thinking of You (1999) (which won him his first Grammy Award). He also composed scores for several films, such as Heaven & Earth (1993) (directed by Oliver Stone), The Soong Sisters (1997) (a Chinese historical drama), Cirque Ingenieux (1997) (a circus performance), Toyo's Camera (2009) (a documentary about Japanese Americans during World War II), and Impressions of the West Lake (2009) (a musical show directed by Zhang Yimou).
Recent works and legacy
In the 21st century, Kitaro continued to release new albums that reflected his spiritual and artistic vision. Some of these albums were Ancient (2001) (a tribute to ancient civilizations), An Ancient Journey (2002) (a sequel to Ancient), Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai series (2003-2017) (a project dedicated to the victims of the 9/11 attacks and the Great East Japan Earthquake), Final Call (2013) (a message for environmental awareness), Symphony Live in Istanbul (2014) (a live performance with a symphony orchestra), and Tamayura (2013) (a collaboration with Dennis Banks, a Native American activist). He also collaborated with other artists, such as Megadeth's Marty Friedman, Philip Glass, Jane Zhang, and Yoshida Brothers. He has performed in various venues and events around the world, such as the United Nations, the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China, the Kremlin, and the Winter Olympics. He has also received many honors and accolades, such as the Golden Globe Award, the Golden Horse Award, the Hong Kong Film Award, and 16 Grammy nominations. He is widely recognized as one of the most influential and innovative new age artists of all time.
References
[KitarÅ discography - Wikipedia]
[Kitaro Biography & History AllMusic]
[Kitaro - Silk Road (1980) - YouTube]
[Kitaro Albums and Discography AllMusic]
[Kitaro Official Website]
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