Oregon daily emerald., October 29, 1987, Page 9, Image 9

Kitaro's 'mind music' eases the war within us
By Kathy Proffit
Emerald Contributor
Recognized for his impres
sionistic, meditative "mind
music.” Japanese composer
Masanori Takahashi. nicknam
ed kitaro, brings his powerful
presence and a slew of syn
thesizers to the Hull Center at 8
p.m. tonight during his first
U S. tour.
A guru-like figure with black,
flowing, waist-length hair,
kitaro, a name meaning "man
of love and joy." says his music
comes not from his mind, but
"from heaven, going through
my body, and out my fingers
through composing.”
jum__
Why cook...
When You Can
Have This
Full Meal
For Only81.50
• Single Burger
• Fries
• Small Drink
Fountain Court Cafe
Quality Food at Low
Prices
In his nine albums released
on the Geffen lalnd. the most re
cent being "The l ight of the
Spirit" (co-produced with
Mickey Hart, the Grateful Dead
percussionist), Kitaro explores
different themes in nature and
the cosmos. "The Light of the
Spirit" deals with kitaro's vi
sions of life, death and rebirth
It is a continuation of his
previous LI’. "Tcnku." which
was a meditation and reflection
on childhood.
Horn to a family of Bud
dhist Shintoist farmers in the
Toyohashi Prefecture in central
Japan, kitaro says he found a
place in nature when he was
very young. Now, when he
composes, he opens up all the
windows to let the sounds of
nature in And since the earh
’70s his music: has reflected his
■'acutely attuned con
sciousness. with an attitude of
reverence for the1 natural
world.”
First influenced by American
K&ii. kitaro didn't start playing
music until he was a senior in
high school It was the music of
Otis Redding, whose hits kitaro
heard in japan, that inspired
him to teach himself to play first
guitar, and them keyboards.
Even at this early stage,
kitaro wrote atmiil his relation
ship with nature, "trying to
understand man's place in the
scheme of things."
Mis impressionistic elec Ironic
music began to emerge after he
traveled to Europe and met
Klaus Schulze of Tangerine
Dream. He became fascinated
with the creative power of syn
thesizers. ami learned the
let hniques to become one of
japan's first synthesists.
Now. in his 24-track studio in
the countryside near the base of
the lapanese Alps. Kitaro has 40
synthesizers with which to ex
periment. Somewhat of a
ret lose, he does most of his
recording at home He is
perhaps best known for the
music he composed ami per
formed in 19H0 for "Silk Road.
an hour-long documentary
about the overland trade route
from Europe to Japan.
In addition to his electronic
music. Kitaro plays the
vv a d a i k o, huge w o o d e u
ceremonial drums that can la1
heard as far away as two miles
Each August at the first full
moon, he performs passionately
from sunset to sunrise at the
foot of Ml Fuji, often bloodying
his hands, in a ceremony to give
thanks
The message of world peace
infuses his entire life lie says
he wants to create music that
"eases tin* war within ”
"Miisk has a transformative
i apncity You c an change a per
son's karma through musit I
know d can change someone's
karma, because it changed my
own.
SWg&s
HALLOWEEN PARTY
&
COSTUME CONTEST
Oct 31, 1987
1st PRIZE $100
2nd PRIZE $50
and numerous other prizes
Bring your funniest or
grossest face and win big
bucks.
535 Main St Springfield
Flowers Add To a
CELEBRATION
homecoming football game mums
laiigatc party arrangements
.corsages balloons
GO DUCKS!
free m nullum mill this tul
in More October M
( mnc In I' M I H OWHt ( M I HR \ I ION
I»is(*Ij> of tall Designs
Two great ways to cruise through the semester.
The hand on the left is poised on what could be the most essential part
of ytjur education.
A Macintosh" computer
.And the hand on tlie right is gripping pua\ simple, unadulter
ated fun
A i Midi Set mHer. One we re giving awa\
All ytxi have u > dt) ft >r a chance tt»drive u aw a\ is visit vt nir campus
computer center and fill t mu an enirv ft »rm While vt Hite tlx*re. Like a
Macintosh for a test drive
Because Macintosh can kip you w rite term |xi|X*rs, catcgori/e
elements of tlx- peril xlic table, plot tlx rise and fall of pork-lxilv
prices, compile ct miputer o >de. and talk u > i *her ctmiputers
And tlx* first 2S0 people t mi campus w ht > get Ixiiind a mt hoc. s. >
it > s[x\ik. will receive a free Apple* menu > In >ard
S< > head t ner u i u >ur campus a miputer center u xlav
Whokntxvs? Vmj mav soon find ytnirself cruising a little farther
dun vou expected
Test drive a Macintosh. You may ride away on a Honda Scooter.
Come Celebrate our Grand Reopening
Enter October 19 - November 13
Microcomputer Support Lab - Room 202
9:00 am - 5:00pm
HONDA
CertMircaretiuMppIv vim«iurun^usun^uef trrtcrUu«^kW|)nn»M«uldtuiU One tax II. mb Hw' V) wifdiilpif (MfiKqa»«xh.i<J..nlwx^l-riilMuJo».iiK)tilulh jrr * > »m OdArfwwiMivafYclcptndnt
onsuruf iinlnumber irfartolawns V> puirtu* neu-Nsin Cl<*r Apple Umrmer Ini Ap(*-jiKllhi'Ap(ilrki|*.jri-fiW'im'ilirjJoiuric.,<\H*'(jm()uteT If* AU8»>4^itradlmiri.rApplc<j*npi*T li* HuemtndmuifctiIkwfa