Masanori Takahashi (Takahashi Masanori; born February 4, 1953), professionally known as Kitarō
(喜多郎), is a Japanese musician, composer, record producer, and arranger noted for his electronic-instrumental music, and is often associated with and regarded as one of the most prominent musical acts of new-age music. He won the Grammy Award for Best New Age Album for Thinking of You (1999), with a record 16 nominations in the same category. He received a Golden Globe Award for the original score to Heaven & Earth (1993).
Kitaro is one of the most popular and influential new age artists of all time, having sold millions of records and toured across the world numerous times. His style fuses contemplative, highly melodic
synthesizer work with acoustic instrumentation, drawing from Eastern musical traditions as well as folk, classical, and rock influences. Interestingly enough, the famous Japanese composer taught himself to play electric guitar in high school -- inspired by the R&B music of Otis Redding. In the early '70s, Kitaro formed the Far East Family Band, which released two albums of progressive rock. In 1972, however, he met the innovative German synthesist Klaus Schulze during a trip to Europe. Kitaro was hooked. He built his first synthesizer and began experimenting with all kinds of unusual sounds.
Masanori Takahashi was born in Toyohashi, Aichi, Japan, and is a graduate of Toyohashi Commercial
High School. Kitarō, which is his boyhood name meaning "man of love and joy", a practicing Buddhist himself, was born in a family of Shinto-Buddhist farmers. After graduating his parents were first opposed to the idea of their son having a musical career. In an effort to maneuver him towards their vision, they made arrangements for him to take a job at a local company. In response, he silently did not show up for the job, eventually convincing them that he should work on something he loved.
Kitaro's style had changed as well, becoming more theatrical and assertive while retaining a certain level
of innocence and purity. His recordings showed a renewed interest in the rock and pop elements that originally attracted him to music in the late '60s. Aside from collaborations with Hart, he also worked with Yes vocalist Jon Anderson on the album Dream, and co-produced Scenes, a solo album by former Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman. Both albums were released in 1992.
In 1997, Kitaro released the soundtrack to Cirque Ingenieux, a production bound for the Broadway stage.
Thinking of You followed two years later, and Ancient appeared in spring 2001. It was well received, leading to a sequel of sorts in the like-minded Ancient Journey in 2002. On 24 February 2022, he married Brazil-born, ethnically Japanese artist Franci Shimomaebara[21][22] in a private ceremony attended by friends and relatives. They had met in 1990, and after becoming friends worked together on The Wind, which was featured on Kitarō's Grammy-nominated 2003 album, Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai, Volume 1.
KITARO - SILK ROAD 1980
The Silk Road: The Rise And Fall Of Civilizations is an NHK Tokushu documentary series that first aired on 7 April 1980, with sequels being broadcast over a 10-year period. It took a total of 17 years from conception to complete what many consider a landmark in Japan's broadcasting television
history. The intention of the program was to reveal how ancient Japan was influenced by the Silk Road trade route. The documentary was narrated by Ishizaka Koji with music composed by Kitaro, who insisted that the show be broadcast in stereo. The music was composed mainly using a Minimoog, miniKORG 700, and Maxikorg DV800. The score received a Galaxy Award, and the series of soundtracks sold millions of copies. The success created from the program brought Kitaro international attention.
KITARO - SILK ROAD VOL. 1 1980 (REMASTERED 1985)
Kitaro – Silk Road
Label: Gramavision – 18-7009-2
Format: CD, Album, Reissue 1985
Country: Europe
Released: 1980
Genre: Electronic, Stage & Screen
Style: Soundtrack, Score, Ambient
TRACKS
Label: Gramavision – 18-7009-2
Format: CD, Album, Reissue 1985
Country: Europe
Released: 1980
Genre: Electronic, Stage & Screen
Style: Soundtrack, Score, Ambient
TRACKS
01. Silk Road Theme 4:12
02. Bell Tower 2:27
03. Heavenly Father 4:07
04. The Great River 2:40
05. The Great Wall Of China 1:54
06. Flying Celestial Nymphs 4:38
07. Silk Road Fantasy 4:40
08. Shimmering Light 3:20
09. Westbound 2:57
10. Time 3:30
11. Bodhisattva 2:12
12. Everlasting Road 5:33
NOTES
Soundtrack for the NHK TV series about the Silk Road.
Recorded and mixed at Kitaro's Kamakura and Hitokuchizaka Studio.
Originally released in 1980.
Flac Size: 214 MB
KITARO - SILK ROAD VOL. 2 1980 (REMASTERED 1996 & 2002)
Kitaro – Silk Road (Volume 2)
Label:New World Music – NWCD 031, New World Music – 71051-2
Format:CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered
Country:UK, Europe & US
Released:
Genre:Electronic, Stage & Screen
Style:Soundtrack, Ambient
TRACKS
Label:New World Music – NWCD 031, New World Music – 71051-2
Format:CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered
Country:UK, Europe & US
Released:
Genre:Electronic, Stage & Screen
Style:Soundtrack, Ambient
TRACKS
02. Takla Makan Desert (Takuramakan Sabaku) 3:16
03. Eternal Spring (Inochi No Izumi) 5:23
04. Silver Moon (Karakhoto No Genso) 5:01
05. Magical Sand Dance (Shimpi Naru Suna No Mai) 6:09
06. Year 40080 (40080 Nen) 4:40
07. Time Travel (Jikukan) 2:32
08. Reincarnation (Saisei) 4:22
09. Dawning (Yoake) 3:13
10. Tienshan (Tenzan) 4:45
KITARO: Engineer, Mixed By, Composed By, Arranged By, Programmed By [Synthesizers], Synthesizer [Korg, Roland, Yamaha, Moog and Prophet], Acoustic Guitar, Drums, Percussion, Quena, Mellotron [Chanting Bell Mellotron], Dulcimer [Santur]
NOTES
Recorded at Kitaro's Kamakura And Miasa Studios
Mixed at Kitaro's Kamakura, Hitokuchuzaka
1980 Pony Canyon Inc.
2002 New World Music Limited
Flac Size: 246 MB
KITARO & JON ANDERSON - DREAM 1992
Two giants in contemporary music have joined forces to create one of the most awe-inspiring albums of the '90s. Kitaro has taken his signature style into a new dimension of orchestral drama with
three tracks featuring the breathtaking vocals of Jon Anderson, from Yes. Anderson, a longtime Kitaro fan, showed up on Kitaro's Japanese mountaintop and hung out for a month. Their ensuing "marriage" of vocals and music is the result. Kitaro composed the music while Anderson wrote the lyrics. The songs revolve around the eternal theme of love, as in the transcendental romanticism of "Lady of Dreams" and the ecstasy of spiritual liberation in "Agreement"....This is a special album full of soaring emotion and spiritual upliftment.
Kitaro – Dream
Label: Geffen Records – GED24477, Geffen Records – GEFD24477
Format: CD, Album
Country: Europe
Released: 1992
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: Ambient, New Age, Symphonic Rock
TRACKS
01.Symphony Of The Forest 4:41
02.Mysterious Island 3:41
03.Lady Of Dreams 8:18
Lyrics By – Jon Anderson
Music By – Kitaro
Vocals – Jon Anderson
04.A Drop Of Silence 2:56
05.A Passage Of Life 8:01
06.Agreement 6:30
Lyrics By – Jon Anderson
Music By – Kitaro
Vocals – Jon Anderson
07.Dream Of Chant 3:52
Vocals [Chant] – Jon Anderson
08.Magical Wave 3:08
09.Symphony Of Dreams 5:44
10.Island Of Life 9:40
Lyrics By – Jon Anderson
Music By – Kitaro
Vocals – Jon Anderson
LINE - UP
Written-By, Arranged By – Kitaro (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 5, 7 to 9)
Vocals - Jon Andreson / Backing Vocals – Deborah Anderson
Drums – Syoji Fujii
Electric Bass – Shigeru Okazawa
Electric Guitar – Jimmy Hahn
Flute – Kristin Stordahl Kanda
Guitar – Hiroshi Araki
Percussion – Ken Park
Strings – Coral Symphony Strings
Tabla – T.Y. Burhos
Vocals [Chanting] – Jonathan Goldman
NOTES
All songs [...] © 1992 Publisher House Amuse / Kitaro Music Publishing adm. by Brainstorm Music Inc. ASCAP except "Lady Of Dreams" (track 3), "Island Of Life" (track 10) and "Agreement" (track 6) © 1992 Publisher House Amuse / Kitaro Music Publishing adm. by Brainstorm Music Inc. / WB Music Corp. ASCAP.
Recorded at Kitaro's studio, Conway Recording Studios (Los Angeles), Amuse Studio, Aobadai Studio, Hitokuchizaka Studio.
