Grammy winning Japanese artist Kitaro releases concert albums
Kitaro, a revered artist and synth player who won the Best New Age Album Grammy Award in 2001 for which he has been nominated 17 times, as well as a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score, has delivered two long-awaited new CD and video sets, with releases in June and July.
Last November, Kitaro held a special concert at the Daishizan Seidaiji Temple in Japan’s Katsuyama City, home to the Echizen Daibutsu, one of the largest Great Buddha statues in Japan. The event was held in collaboration with Akira Hasegawa, known as the founder of projection mapping, who displayed a set of digital hanging scrolls. The concert filled the interior of the Great Buddha Hall with a mystical light, enchanting the audience, and on June 26, audio-visual recordings of the concert were released in a CD and DVD/Blu-ray set titled “Zen: Live in Katsuyama.”
On July 17, a CD and DVD set titled, “Kukai 1250 Live in Zentsuji,” was released, featuring recordings of a concert by Kitaro and Hiroki Okano titled “Kukai” in 2023 at Zentsuji Temple in Kagawa Prefecture to commemorate the 1,250th anniversary of the birth of Kobo Daishi, also known as Kukai – the monk who established the Shingon school of Buddhism a dozen centuries ago.
This release features a detailed collection of unmissable performances by two world-renowned musicians: Kitaro, whose music has captivated audiences across the globe, and Hiroki Okano, who has performed at ceremonies around the world for over three decades. The DVD also includes footage and audio recordings of a historic concert held at Zentsuji Temple, the birthplace of Kukai, as well as an improvised performance accompanied by the stunning work of master calligrapher Fuyoh Kobayashi.
Kitaro also recently completed a world tour titled, “THE BEST OF KITARO LIVE IN 2024 TOUR,” which began last June 23 at the Arena of Stars, Resorts World Genting in Malaysia, followed by two sold-out shows at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore on June 25 and 26, reflecting Kitaro’s reputation around the world.
On June 28, he performed for the first time at Rainforest World Music Festival 2024, held in Sarawak, Malaysia, attracting music lovers from all over the world; Kitaro was the headliner at the 27th edition of the festival, which drew some 10,000 music fans. Finally, on June 30, he performed at the Kaohsiung Music Center in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
With two long-awaited releases over two consecutive months and a successful world tour, Kitaro continues to be active on the world’s stage. Keep an eye out for more.
