Nov 25: Bloodlines performs at Spectrum NYC

Kaoru Watanabe's Bloodlines featuring Marika Hughes (cello) and Sara Schoenbeck (bassoon) performs this Monday night at Spectrum NYC!

Monday, November 25, 8-11 PM. Spectrum NYC 121 Ludlow St., Second Floor, New York, NY, 10002 J, M to Essex/ Delancey $10

About Bloodlines: The individual musicians in the ensemble, Bloodlines, have been working together to create a musical collage representing anecdotes from our family histories. The resulting music is at once intensely personal while celebrating the commonalities people have shared over generations, countries and cultures. The rehearsals for Bloodlines have been equal parts playing and discussing musical structure and simply sharing these stories with each other and conceiving ways to sculpt them into music.

More info on the gig here: https://www.facebook.com/events/789496294409419/

November/December Updates

Hello friends, I've been busy with various private and public performances over the last few weeks. I didn't realize it until after it was over, but I was performing in or responsible for 10 different performances between Wednesday and Sunday of last week, beginning with a private reception at Carnegie Hall for Yo Yo Ma and ending with a collaboration with a master soba maker in the Meatpacking District's swanky Soho House.

I have a very busy next couple of months. For the next few weeks, along with a number of more private events, I will continue to perform every thursday through Sunday with Maureen Fleming, followed by a trip to California where I'll be performing in San Francisco Taiko Dojo's 45th Anniversary Concert and teaching workshops at Asano Taiko's new Los Angeles Taiko Institute. Immediately upon returning, I'll be performing and teaching workshops at Cornell University, followed by a performances at the Stone with Adam Rudolph, than at Spectrum with my group Bloodlines. The great Kenny Endo will be visiting New York the following weekend for KWTC's first weekend intensive in our new space and we will be performing together at Joe's Pub as well as at Dickinson College, where I have been co-teaching a course on taiko drumming with Professor and author Shawn Bender. See below for a list of dates and times for performances.

Also, big news: My good friend Imani Uzuri is officially on the GRAMMY ballot and eligible for nomination!! If you are a member of NARAS or have friends who are, please consider Imani Uzuri for a Grammy Nomination for "Gathering" (Best American Roots Song) and "Dream Child" (Song Of The Year, Record Of The Year, Best R &B Song). I am performing shinobue and flute on this album. Here's a link to the video for "Dream Child" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvfzpR_qRdE My flute can be prominently heard on the track but unfortunately I was busy the day of the video shoot. Please just add me to the video in your mind's eye, wearing an unbuttoned linen shirt with dark sunglasses on playing the flute on the beach.

- Kaoru --------

UPCOMING PERFORMANCES

Oct 17th - Nov 3rd | 7:30 pm (Thur-Sat), 2:30pm (Sun) La MaMa presents B. MADONNA by Fleming @ The Ellen Stewart Theatre Internationally acclaimed performer, Maureen Fleming brings her contemporary unveiling of the myth of Persephone to the stage of the Ellen Stewart Theatre. With text by David Henry Hwang and music by Philip Glass (performed live by pianist Bruce Brubaker), original accordion music by Guy Klucevsek, and Taiko drumming by Kaoru Watanabe, this beautiful, multimedia meditation on ’miracles’ juxtaposes Fleming’s new and repertory works with three-dimensional video projections designed by longtime collaborator Christopher Odo. Kaoru Watanabe is performing in Maureen Fleming's Black Madonna every weekend for four weeks at La Mama. Thursday – Saturday at 7.30pm Sunday at 2.30pm Running time: 75 minutes This performance contains nudity 66 E. 4th St. 2nd Fl., New York, NY 10003 Facebook event here.

Friday, Nov 8th Vassar College - The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center Performance with Sumie Kaneko

Saturday-Sunday, Nov 9th and 10th San Francisco Taiko Dojo 45th International Taiko Festival Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Saturday, November 9, 2013, at 8pm Sunday, November 10, 2013, at 3pm

Monday-Tuesday, Nov 11th and 12th Shinobue and Taiko workshops@ Los Angeles Taiko Institute Shinobue Workshop Monday, November 11, 2013 - 18:00 to 19:30 Shinobue and Taiko workshops@ Los Angeles Taiko Institute Open to all levels, Kaoru will go over hand positions, posture, various breathing techniques, embouchure, basic exercises. Please bring your own fue (western tuning, preferrably a number 6). Taiko Workshop Tuesday, November 12, 2013 - 18:00 to 20:00 Kaoru will introduce some hitting techniques utilized by many Kodo players that emphasizes balance and stability, relaxation, the shoulder blades as well as the concept of magaranai ude or the "unbendable arm". $40 per workshop, $30 for LATI / college students RSVP taiko@asano.us / 310-974-4490 (Please pay at the door)

Friday, Nov 22nd Solo Performance @ Cornell University

Sunday, Nov 24th | 8pm & 10pm Adam Rudolph @ The Stone 8pm - Go: Organic Orchestra Flutes 10pm - Adam Rudolph’s Moving Pictures Octet plus Go: Organic Orchestra Flutes the corner of avenue C and 2nd street $15 General Admission, $10 Students 13 to 19 children 12 and under admitted FREE there are no advance ticket sales all admissions are at the door prior to each performance

Monday, Nov 25th Bloodlines@Spectrum The individual musicians in the quartet, Bloodlines, have been working together to create a musical collage representing anecdotes from our family histories. The resulting music is at once intensely personal while celebrating the commonalities people have shared over generations, countries and cultures. The rehearsals for Bloodlines have been equal parts playing and discussing musical structure and simply sharing these stories with each other and conceiving ways to sculpt them into music. $15 General Admission, $10 Students and Seniors 121 Ludlow, Floor 2, NYC, NY 10002. Ring bell for 2; between Delancey and Rivington.

Friday - Sunday, Nov 29th - Dec 1st Kenny Endo Taiko Intensive@KWTC Kenny Endo is considered one of the world’s leading taiko composer, performer and teacher. Participants will spend an intimate weekend studying with this acclaimed artist, learning not just rhythms, form and technique, but about Kenny’s philosophies on life and music. The workshops will cater to a degree, the experience and skill level of the participants, but Odaiko and shimedaiko technique, ji playing, Edo Bayashi and more will be very likely be explored. For more information, please visit: http://www.taikonyc.com/intensives/

Sunday, Dec 1st | 7:30pm Kenny Endo, Kaoru Watanabe and Sumie Kaneko@Joe's Pub Kenny Endo and Kaoru Watanabe, both considered leading practitioners of their instruments, respectively the Japanese taiko drum and flutes, celebrate their CD Convergence, with guest artists Sumie Kaneko on koto and shamisen. Their music draws on Japanese theater and folk traditions with jazz and other improvisational genres to create a sound that is ancient with a modern edge. Tickets are on sale now! Get them here. RSVP on our Facebook event here.

Thursday, Dec 5th | 7pm Kenny Endo, Kaoru Watanabe and Sumie Kaneko@ Dickinson College Rubendall Recital Hall, Weiss Center for the Arts Internationally renowned musicians Kaoru Wantanabe (taiko, fue), Sumie Kaneko (shamisen, koto) and Satoshi Takeishi (percussion) perform a blend of Japanese classical music and contemporary improvisation. This concert is co-sponsored by the East Asian studies department and the Bullard Music and Culture Fund.

Fall Updates

UPCOMING PERFORMANCES Thursday, Oct 17th | 7:30 pm La MaMa presents B. MADONNA by Fleming @ The Ellen Stewart Theatre Internationally acclaimed performer, Maureen Fleming brings her contemporary unveiling of the myth of Persephone to the stage of the Ellen Stewart Theatre. With text by David Henry Hwang and music by Philip Glass (performed live by pianist Bruce Brubaker), original accordion music by Guy Klucevsek, and Taiko drumming by Kaoru Watanabe, this beautiful, multimedia meditation on ’miracles’ juxtaposes Fleming’s new and repertory works with three-dimensional video projections designed by longtime collaborator Christopher Odo.

October 17 - November 3, 2013 Thursday - Saturday at 7.30pm Sunday at 2.30pm Running time: 75 minutes This performance contains nudity 66 E. 4th St. 2nd Fl., New York, NY 10003 Facebook event here.

Sunday, Dec 1st | 7:30pm Kenny Endo and Kaoru Watanabe’s Convergence @ Joe’s Pub

Kenny Endo and Kaoru Watanabe, both considered leading practitioners of their instruments, respectively the Japanese taiko drum and flutes, celebrate their CD Convergence, with guest artists Sumie Kaneko on koto and shamisen. Their music draws on Japanese theater and folk traditions with jazz and other improvisational genres to create a sound that is ancient with a modern edge. Tickets are on sale now! Get them here. RSVP on our Facebook event here.

--- PAST PERFORMANCES

Thursday, Sept 26th Bloodlines @ the Firehouse Space The individual musicians in the quartet, Bloodlines, have been working together to create a musical collage representing anecdotes from our family histories. The resulting music is at once intensely personal while celebrating the commonalities people have shared over generations, countries and cultures. The rehearsals for Bloodlines have been equal parts playing and discussing musical structure and simply sharing these stories with each other and conceiving ways to sculpt them into music. http://thefirehousespace.org/event/kaoru-watanabes-bloodlines/

Thursday, Sept 19th | 8pm Greg Barris’ Heart of Darkness @ The Bell House Doors: 7:30 pm / Show: 8:00 pm The Bell House Brooklyn, New York $10.00 – $12.00

Saturday, Sept 28th | 8:30 PM Go: Organic Orchestra @ Burgdorff Cultural Center Go: Organic Orchestra is unique in the realm of approaches to improvisational conducting. Utilizing non-linear notation in an original music score, composer and artistic director Adam Rudolph conducts between 20 and 50 musicians with his prototypical conducting system. Over the past twelve years he has taught and conducted hundreds of musicians in Go: Organic Orchestra concepts in both North America and Europe, most recently in Naples, Oslo and Istanbul. He has on-going ensembles in both Los Angeles and New York. The group was chosen by the LA Weekly as “Outstanding World Music Group” in both 2003 and 2005. 10 Durand Road, Maplewood, NJ. $15

Thursday, Oct 3rd | 3pm Adam Rudolph and Go: Organic Orchestra@ Roulette 509 Atlantic Ave (On the corner of Atlantic & 3rd Aves) Downtown Brooklyn 2, 3, 4, 5, C, G, D, M, N, R, B & Q trains and the LIRR General Admission: $20 Members/Students/Seniors: $15 FREE for All Access Members

Monday, Oct 7th | 10:30pm Imani Uzuri@Blue Note NY FEATURING: Imani Uzuri, vocals Christian Ver Halen, acoustic guitar Neel Murgai, sitar & percussion Marika Hughes, cello Kaoru Watanabe, Shinobue flute Todd Isler, percussion $10 bar, $15 table

—- WORKSHOP

Nov 29 – Dec 1, 2013 (Fri-Sun) Kenny Endo Weekend Intensive Workshop Kenny Endo is considered one of the world’s leading taiko composer, performer and teacher. Participants will spend an intimate weekend studying with this acclaimed artist, learning not just rhythms, form and technique, but about Kenny’s philosophies on life and music. The workshops will cater to a degree, the experience and skill level of the participants, but Odaiko and shimedaiko technique, ji playing, Edo Bayashi and more will be very likely be explored.

The $450 workshop fee will include healthy (organic when available) meals, snacks and (non-alcaholic) drinks as well as home-stay accommodations (a separate space for male and female participants). Limited to 12 participants. Fee does not include transportation expenses to and from the KWTC studio.

SCHEDULE Friday evening: mini concert Saturday: morning, noon and evening workshops Sunday morning: final workshop

REGISTRATION FORMS & INFO can now be downloaded here!: Download the PDF: http://subdomain.marinakano.com/taiko/keintensive2013.pdf Download the Word Doc: http://subdomain.marinakano.com/taiko/keintensive2013.doc

Please RSVP to Alex Pfister at alex@taikonyc.com

September Performances

Sunday, Sept 1st | 8:30 PM

Kaoru Watanabe with Satoshi Takeishi @ Cornelia Street Cafe

Dan Weiss, host Kaoru Watanabe, flute;  Satoshi Takeishi, drums $10 cover plus $10 minimum 29 Cornelia Street, New York, NY 10014 A, B, C, D, E, F, and V to West 4th St. or 1 to Christopher St.-Sheridan Square.

Thursday, Sept 5th | 9:30 PM (Doors open 09:00 PM)

Sumie Kaneko @ the Metropolitan Room

Shamisen & Koto Player, World Music Singer-Songwriter and Producer of J-Trad & More Sumie (Sumi-é) Kaneko has been recognized as a pioneer by her uniquely chromatic use of the instruments.

$15.00, 2 Beverage Minimum 34 West 22nd St.  (Bet. 5th & 6th Aves), New York, NY 10010

N, R to 23rd Street.

Sept 6th, 7th and 8th | 8:00 PM

Shakespeare in the Park - The Tempest (featuring Kaoru Watanabe Taiko Ensemble)

THE TEMPEST will showcase 200 New Yorkers from all five boroughs who will share the stage with professional actors and community partners for this three-night civic event. Free Public Works Tickets will be distributed, two per person, at 12:00 p.m. on the day of the show at the Delacorte Theater. Free tickets will be available via the Virtual Ticketing drawing on the day of the performance. Summer Supporter tickets are also available for a tax-deductible donation of $75 each. For information and to donate, call 212-967-7555.

Delacorte Theater in Central Park: easily accessible from the B, C and 6 subway lines, as well as from the M2, M3, M4, M10 and M79 bus lines.

Saturday, Sept 14th

Kaoru Watanabe with Shoji Kameda @ Asia Society Texas

more info coming soon

Thursday, Sept 26th

Bloodlines @ The Firehouse Space

Kaoru Watanabe - fue, taiko Marika Hughes- cello

Sara Schoenbeck -bassoon

Mathias Kunzli - perc The individual musicians in the quartet, Bloodlines, have been working together to create a musical collage representing anecdotes from our family histories. The resulting music is at once intensely personal while celebrating the commonalities people have shared over generations, countries and cultures. The rehearsals for Bloodlines have been equal parts playing and discussing musical structure and simply sharing these stories with each other and conceiving ways to sculpt them into music. 246 Frost St, Brooklyn, NY, 11211, L Train to Graham Ave.

Saturday, Sept 28th | 8:30 PM

Go: Organic Orchestra @ Burgdorff Cultural Center

Go: Organic Orchestra is unique in the realm of approaches to improvisational conducting. Utilizing non-linear notation in an original music score, composer and artistic director Adam Rudolph conducts between 20 and 50 musicians with his prototypical conducting system. Over the past twelve years he has taught and conducted hundreds of musicians in Go: Organic Orchestra concepts in both North America and Europe, most recently in Naples, Oslo and Istanbul. He has on-going ensembles in both Los Angeles and New York. The group was chosen by the LA Weekly as "Outstanding World Music Group" in both 2003 and 2005. 10 Durand Road, Maplewood, NJ. $15

Monday, Sept 30th

Union College solo performance more info coming soon

Lincoln Center Out of Doors

Saturday July 27th at 12:00 pm

Kaoru will be sitting in with Elena Moon Park and her Rabbit Days and Dumplings band, plus special guests, to open Lincoln Center Out of Doors Family Day! RSVP on Facebook.

Sunday Aug 4th at 7:00pm Ne-O Ensemble @ Lincoln Center Out of Doors Damrosch Bandshell, 60 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY, 11023 Kaoru Watanabe’s Ne-O Ensemble at Lincoln Center Out of Doors as part of the Sacred Drums concert.  Here’s the whole line up: Silvercloud Singers, Manuela Arciniegas & The Legacy Circle, Pandit Samir Chatterjee & Friends, Silva Dance Company, Something Positive Dance Company, Kaoru Watanabe Ne-O Ensemble, Román Díaz & Cimarron, Ousmane Sall & Yakar Roots and Rhythms, Neil Clarke, Adam Rudolph, Arturo O’Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra with special guest Will Calhoun. RSVP on Facebook.

July Performances & New Studio

July 13 | 7:30pm So Percussion and The Joshua Light Show @ River to River Festival Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts, 3 Spruce Street, New York

Mixed Media, Music Co-presented with Pace University  Warning: strobe lights and loud noises

So Percussion and legendary performance visualists The Joshua Light Show collaborate to create a closing event to remember! So Percussion performs works of their own from Amid the Noise, Imaginary City, and Where (we) Livealong with special guests Grey Mcmurray (guitar, vocals), Angelica Negron (accordion, toy instruments), Kaoru Watanabe (flute, taiko drum), Cenk Ergun (electronics), Dan Trueman (fiddle), and others.

July 20 | 12:30 AM Late Night Groove Series: Motions @ Blue Note 131 W. 3rd St, New York, NY

FEATURING: Chris Dingman, vibraphone Tim Keiper, ngoni, percussion Matt Kilmer, percussion Kaoru Watanabe, fue, flute 

The four members of the Brooklyn-based collective Motions, combine the rhythms, timbres and melodies from their extensive and diverse musical backgrounds - traditional and contemporary musics from Japan, Mali, the Middle East, Brazil and the US to create a unified sound that is both eclectic and organic. The music seamlessly ranges from abstract improvisation to heavy groove, highlighting the flavors and qualities of the different instruments while celebrating their universality.

Showtime: 12:30AM Doors Open at 12:00AM $10 (bar or table)

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New Studio!

In other news, Kaoru Watanabe Taiko Center has found a new home in Brooklyn and the studio is now all set up and ready for classes and rehearsals! Read more here and stay updated at www.taikonyc.com. Also check out pictures from the build-out process on the KWTC facebook album here.

June 24: Double Bill @ ShapeShifter Lab

 

Two groups led by Kaoru Watanabe in a double bill.

For the first performance of the new ensemble, Bloodlines, the individual musicians in the quartet have been working together to create a musical collage representing anecdotes from our family histories. The resulting music is at once intensely personal while celebrating the commonalities people have shared over generations, countries and cultures. One piece begins with a musical representation of the sound of my grandfather's walking stick in postwar Japan as he takes his morning stroll to the sake and tofu shops down the street and ends with an evening of drinking with geisha. Cellist Marika Hughes shares with us the story of her great-aunt escaping the Nazis during WWII, bassoonist Sara Schoenbeck's recalls a song her grandmother used to sing in Aberdeen, South Dakota and percussionist Keita Ogawa recounts observing stars through a telescope as his father played the harmonica on the family farm miles from the nearest neighbors in rural Nagasaki. The rehearsals for Bloodlines have been equal parts playing and discussing musical structure and simply sharing these stories with each other and conceiving ways to sculpt them into music.

The Kaoru Watanabe Ensemble re-creates Japanese matsuri (festival) music re-contextualized and reworked for the 21st Century. Inspired by a wide variety of traditional Japanese music and their role within society to strengthen peoples' connection to the past, this music aims to retain the feeling of nostalgia and euphoria found in matsuri, while drawing from the contemporary musical forms that embody the spirit of today.

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8:15 Bloodlines Kaoru Watanabe - Japanese and Western Flutes Marika Hughes- cello Sara Schoenbeck - basson Keita Ogawa - percussion

9:30 Ne-O Ensemble Kaoru Watanabe - taiko and Japanese flutes Sumie Kaneko- koto, shamisen Barbara Merjan - taiko and percussion

Cover: $12 for both shows

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Monday, June 24th Shapeshfiter lab 18 Whitwell Place Brooklyn, NY 11215, USA Tel: +1.646.820.9452

Facebook event page.

June Performances

Here are some of Kaoru’s performances this month! Hope to see you there: Wednesday, June 5th Silk Road Project “I’m excited to be working with the Silk Road Project again (the first time was a few years ago when they were doing a residency at the Natural History Museum) in an educational performance in a school in Queens.” – Kaoru

Tuesday, June 18th Kaoru Watanabe with So Percussion @ River to River Festival 1pm – 4pm: Open Rehearsal with Kaoru Watanabe 5pm – 6pm Work-in-Process showing with Kaoru Watanabe Pier 17 Storefront, South Street Seaport, New York.

Friday, June 21st, 8pm Blue Note Jazz Festival @ the Highline Ballroom Alicia Hall Moran and the Motown Project Jason Moran – piano Steven Herring – baritone Tarus Mateen – bass Tomas Flippin- guitar Kaoru Watanabe – taiko

6:00pm Doors open 8:00pm Showtime Tickets $25 in advance, $30 day of show 431 W 16th St, New York, NY 10011

Monday, June 24th Shapeshifter Lab: Double Bill 8:15pm: Bloodlines Kaoru Watanabe – Japanese and western flutes Sara Schoenbeck – bassoon Marika Hughes – cello Keita Ogawa – percussion

9:30pm: Ne-O Ensemble Kaoru Watanabe- Japanese flutes, taiko Sumie Kaneko – koto, shamisen, vocals Barbara Merjan- taiko and percussion

$12 cover for both shows 18 Whitewell Pl, Brooklyn, NY 11215

Friday, June 28th, 7:30pm Kaoru Watanabe and Sumie Kaneko @ Regattabar (Boston) World Music Singer, Koto & Shamisen Player Sumie Kaneko’s J-Trad & more is based in NYC, creates one-and-only blending arts. Her music has been recognized as a uniquely chromatic uses of the instruments, blending the folk and traditional of Japan with contemporary improvisational and experimental Jazz.

Kaoru Watanabe- Fue, Taiko Michel Reis- Piano Yoshiki Yamada- Bass Pablo Eluchans- Drums, Percussions Tickets: $16 Charles Hotel, 1 Bennett St, Cambridge, MA 02138

Performances this week at ShapeShifter Lab (NYC)

Monday, May 20th @ ShapeShifter Lab (NYC)GO:  ORGANIC ORCHESTRA COMPOSED AND IMPROVISATIONALLY CONDUCTED BY ADAM RUDOLPH 42 musicians

8:00 PM open rehearsal/concert (public welcome) 9:00 PM concert $15 for both sets http://www.shapeshifterlab.com/portfolio/may-20-go-organic-orchestra/

Wednesday, May 22th @ Shapeshifter Lab (NYC) SKYE STEELE’S RAILROAD RODIA + CAT TOREN DOUBLE BILL

$10 cover 7:00p 8:00p

Skye Steele — violin Kaoru Watanabe — flutes & percussion Kyle Sanna — guitar John Hadfield — drums Chris Tordini — bass http://www.shapeshifterlab.com/portfolio/may-22-skye-steeles-railroad-rodia/

Spring 2013 Update

So far, 2013 has been a chain of back to back traveling/performing/teaching engagements followed by long lulls during which I wonder if my career has come to an end, followed by more runs of intense and prolonged bursts of creative effort and exhaustion.  Recently, I performed at Brooklyn's ShapeShifter Lab (one of my favorite places in NY) with the great Adam Rudolph leading a large ensemble of some really fantastic NYC musicians.  The night before I had a somewhat cathartic couple of sets at Cornelia Street Cafe with Motions- a quartet that I've been a part of for a few years now.  The day before that was a taiko/fue performance at the Stony Brook Sakura Matsuri and the day before THAT was spent doing final prep for and then putting on the semester ending taiko and fue concert at Wesleyan University.  The students made t-shirts for the concert that had "Wesleyan University Spring 2013 Taiko Concert" on the front and inexplicably an image of my face on the back.  I would be lying if I said I wasn't honored and moved by the gesture while feigning a dismissive air of disapproval.

Wesleyan University Spring 2013 Taiko Concert T-shirts

During all of this I was still recovering from jet lag after a weeklong journey to Japan (more on that in a moment). I usually like to spend as much time as I can over there but could only squeeze in one week due to the Wesleyan concert and a performance at a Gala event for the Settlement Music School where Philadelphia's Kyo Daiko and I performed my piece Hiraki that took place the evening before I flew to Tokyo.

So... Japan.  For me, Japan is a barometer for where I am in life.  Most of my family is there as are the origins of my cultural heritage, and I spent many transformative years there.  However, because I don't live there anymore, going back gives me an objective view of where I am in life.  Going to Japan gives me a mirror so I can see my ability to interact with people, my comfort in navigating unfamiliar waters, how attuned I am to the significance of people, places, things and moments.

The first few days in Japan, I spent visiting with family and friends as well as with some of the most important people to me in my professional life: the people who create the instruments I play.  Yoshihiko Miyamoto is the head of the Miyamoto Unosuke, one of Japan's most respected taiko makers while Ranjo is a craftsman who has been making bamboo flutes (or shinobue) from dawn till dusk, every single day for almost forty years.  Although these two men are very different in most regards- Mr. Miyamoto is a cosmopolitan Tokyo-ite, educated in London and almost always in a tailored suit while Ranjo lives deep in the countryside in Chiba prefecture, sitting on the floor of his studio, perpetually covered in sawdust and urushi lacquer- I find our conversations invariably end up being about sound.  Whether discussing the taiko or fue, it requires the utmost discipline for a player to create a tone from the instrument that holds equal parts power and strength and grace and delicacy.  The quality of sound will depend greatly on the knowledge and intelligence a player brings to the music as well as a consistent philosophy of study.  For the instrument maker, it is important to have an attentiveness to both materials and tools as well as to the needs of the individual player.  A perfect collaboration between the the instrument maker and the performer occurs when both parties share the same dedication to the betterment of their craft: The courage to not rest on past accomplishments, to not be self satisfied and to want to grow and develop, especially as their reputation improves.  After seeing these people, I always leave with feelings of both inspiration to do better and disappointment for not having done enough.

Yoshihiko Miyamoto, head of the Miyamoto Unosuke

Ranjo has been making bamboo flutes (or shinobue) from dawn till dusk, every single day for almost forty years

After a few days in Tokyo, I took place in Tohoku Artist Caravan 2013, a project conceived, organized and held together by my good friend Daniel Rosen.  The caravan visited the small city of Kesennuma, a port town that was all but swept away by the tsunami of 3/11. The caravan consisted of basically two groups: painters who created vibrant murals on the grey walls of temporary shelters and musicians who performed in a newly constructed temple.  The cars were provided by Mini Cooper, the caffeine by Redbull, the taiko drums by Miyamoto and all twenty of us slept in an out-of-business Japanese inn overlooking cliffs floating above a peaceful sea.

The cars were provided by Mini Cooper, the caffeine by Redbull, the taiko drums by Miyamoto

The next morning after arrival, I woke around five and took a walk on a trail that took me around the edge of the peninsula.  I was deep in thought when at one point I felt a very nearby presence.   I looked up and saw two deer staring at me in perfect stillness. I had never seen deer like this before, with short straight antlers and a thick coat of fur.  We stared at each other for long time and they let me take a few pictures with my iPhone, but when I felt I had disturbed them enough and took a step along the path, in an instant they bounded off through the thick foliage.

on a morning walk around the peninsula

two deer staring at me in perfect stillness

I found out later that on 3/11 the ocean had come up through the narrow v-shape opening along the cliff wall in front of the inn with such force that a steel handrail about 30 feet up from the water was bent over completely.  Apparently, the force of the tsunami coming in from the ocean is much less than that of the force of it being sucked back out, evidence being the torii (red wooden gates found at Shinto shrines) that were found fallen towards the ocean and not away.

fallen handrail by the cliff

The temple, Jifukuji, was surrounded by land with a few brand new houses, still under construction, and foundations of buildings that were swept away.  It seems that everywhere we turned there was a reminder of the tsunami: a marker 15 feet up on the wall indicating how high the tsunami came, the piano we used in the concert that was a replacement for another piano that had been damaged beyond repair by the seawater and perhaps most hauntingly, the rooms in the temple that were crammed with individual shrines for each of the deceased victims of the tsunami.  In front of each sacred ornament and solemn photograph people would leave a can of beer or bag of sweets for the comfort of their departed loved ones.

Jifukuji

a shrine for the animals that were victims of the tsunami

A list of the names of those who died in the tsunami

The concert was a homemade affair.  A few of us carried out the multiple wooden platforms that would become the small stage, we set up chairs for the audience and afterwards we vacuumed the floors after putting everything away.  There were three ensembles and one soloist.  The musicians I performed with were all at some point or another lead players in the taiko ensemble Kodo who have since left the group and moved on to have individual solo careers.  Even though we hadn't played together as a group in many years, we were able to immediately fall back into our old rhythm.  We laughed at ourselves for not having maintained the hyper intense physical regiment that we all used to keep while touring with Kodo and found that playing some of our old repertoire was surprisingly strenuous.  However, in the end, we were all very relaxed and had a lot of fun, thanks especially to the enthusiastic response from the local audience.  Two current members of Kodo who were traveling to study a dance in Tohoku came and watched the entire 4 hour show.  At the end, true to their Kodo nature, they immediately began helping pack and move drums, equipment and cleaning the temple.

The concert was a homemade affair. 

a huge ship sitting in the middle of a lot on dry land

The following morning, we all loaded back up into our Minis and drove the ten hours back to Tokyo.  I took turns driving with my old friend Ryutaro Kaneko and we spoke of all sorts of things.  A wrong turn heading into the Tokyo area prolonged our trip by an extra hour but we still managed to arrive in Shibuya ahead of the rest of the caravan.  The following day, I was taking an afternoon flight out of Narita heading back to JFK.

Now I'm back in NYC, in preparation mode for a few large undertakings, including performances in the coming months at Shapeshifter lab, the Blue Note (Motions), Highline Ballroom (Alicia Hall Moran), The River to River Festival (with So Percussion) and Lincoln Center Out Doors Festival.  More info to come.

-Kaoru

GO: Organic Orchestra Residency Continues Tonight!

Hi everyone, Adam Rudolph's GO: Organic Orchestra Spring Residency at ShapeShifter Lab in Brooklyn, NY continues tonight, Monday March 25, 2013.

COMPOSED AND IMPROVISATIONALLY CONDUCTED BY ADAM RUDOLPH Adam Rudolph leads GO: Organic Orchestra, composed of 42 musicians including Kaoru on noh kan, fue, and c flute. The 6-show residency at ShapeShifter Lab started on Monday March 11.  Make sure to catch the rest of their residency shows on April 8, April 22, May 6, and May 20.

8:00 open rehearsal / concert (public welcome) 9:00 concert

$15 at the door for both sets

ShapeShifter Lab is at 18 Whitwell Place, Brooklyn, NY 11215, off the R Train to Union St.

http://www.metarecords.com/go.html

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Go-Organic-Orchestra

http://www.metarecords.com/adam.html

KWTC Taiko Workshop April 14, 1-5:30pm & Sukeroku Workshop (with Taiko Aiko Kai) March 25

RSVP for KWTC Taiko Workshop on SUNDAY April 14th, from1-5:30pm! We still have a limited number of spots available for this day, but are confirming that we've booked a studio at Complete Music Studios on Vanderbilt Ave (Prospect Heights) - http://www.completemusic.com/ RSVP at info@taikonyc.com.

*We will send out more detailed information about the time breakdown/fee, etc., but basically, we will be holding a beginner session and then a regular session. All members will be able to apply unused classes (more info to come on this too).

A workshop announcement from Taiko Aiko Kai: Sukeroku Workshop Monday March 25th 7:15 - 9:15 at Teachers College of Columbia University.

Imaizumi-sensei of Sukeroku Taiko who visited us last May is returning to New York and will conduct a workshop for us on Monday, March 25th. The workshop will be held in the music room in the Horace Mann Hall from 7:15PM - 9:15PM. The fee for the workshop is $25. Don't forget to bring a photo ID to enter the building. The entrance is on the north side of West 120th Street between Amsterdam Avenue and Broadway.  The closest subway is 116th Street and Broadway on #1 train.

RSVP for KWTC Taiko Workshop!

TAIKO WORKSHOP (*Please RSVP ASAP*) Sunday, April 14th, 2013 For those of you with an itch to play taiko- we are planning to hold a workshop from around 1 pm at Complete Music Studios on Vanderbilt in Prospect Heights. We will run beginner and regular sessions, working on basics, improvisation, pieces- same as we usually do in class. If we can get a handful of people we will book the space so please RSVP as soon as you can at info@taikonyc.com.

Here are some of Kaoru's upcoming performances:

Monday, March 25, 9pm GO: ORGANIC ORCHESTRA @ ShapeShifter Lab (NYC) Composed and improvisationally conducted by Adam Rudolph

8:00 PM open rehearsal/concert (public welcome)

9:00 PM concert

$15 for both sets Live Stream here: http://live.shapeshifterlab.com/

18 Whitwell Place, Brooklyn, NY 11215. R train to Union

Sunday, March 31, 6:30pm Bella Gaia: Origin Stories of Japan @ NYU Skirball (NYC) Award-winning composer and director Kenji Williams brings a special and exotic version of BELLA GAIA (Beautiful Earth) to New York! Inspired by stories of astronauts who returned to Earth transformed after the view from space, and working with J-Collabo, "BELLA GAIA: Origin Stories of Japan" explores the relationship between humans and nature through ancient Japanese arts fused with modern expression and technology. The 70-minute immersive performance produced and performed by Williams, features Japanese traditional artists performing Live Noh (dance), Gagaku (ceremonial orchestra), and Shomyo (chanting), and more. Tickets: $15, $20, $30, $40, $75 (Orchestra Seats with VIP reception pass from 5pm) 566 Laguardia Place, New York, NY 10012. A, B, C, D, E, F, M  trains to West 4th St. More info here: http://j-collabo.org/news/bella-gaia-origin-stories-of-japan/

Monday, April 1, 10:30pm Imani Uzuri @ Blue Note (NYC) Recently praised in the New York Times for her "gorgeously chesty ruminations" by music critic Steve Smith, "stunning" (New York Magazine) vocalist and innovative composer Imani Uzuri returns to the Blue Note on April 1 to perform songs from her new acclaimed album, The Gypsy Diaries, which draws on her rural Southern roots as well as influences ranging from Sufi devotionals to Romany laments. Uzuri will be joined by a stellar group of musicians who are all featured on the album, including Marika Hughes (cello), Kaoru Watanabe (Japanese shinobue flute, western flute), Todd Isler (world percussion), album co-producer Christian Ver Halen (acoustic guitar), and Neel Murgai (sitar, daf).

Friday, April 5, 9pm Skye Steele's Railroad Rodia @ Zirzamin (NYC) Skye Steele, violin Kyle Sanna, guitar Kaoru Watanabe, flutes John Hadfield, drums Chris Tordini, bass and surprise guests TBA.... 90 W Houston Street, New York, NY 10012. B,D,F,M trains to Broadway Lafayette.

Mondays, April 8 and 22, 9pm GO: ORGANIC ORCHESTRA @ ShapeShifter Lab (NYC) Composed and improvisationally conducted by Adam Rudolph

8:00 PM open rehearsal/concert (public welcome)

9:00 PM concert

$15 for both sets Live Stream here: http://live.shapeshifterlab.com/

18 Whitwell Place, Brooklyn, NY 11215. R train to Union

Saturday, April 13, 7pm Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts  with Kyodaiko@Settlement Music School, Mary Louise Curtis Branch, Presser Hall On March 11, 2011 the northern Tohoku region of Japan experienced a 9.0 earthquake that triggered a devastating tsunami and nuclear disaster. For over 25 years, Shofuso Japanese House and Garden has had a relationship of cultural exchange with the city of Sendai (in the Tohoku region). Over the years, various folk artists have brought the culture of Sendai to Philadelphia. The Japanese-American community at Shofuso developed deep friendships with the artists of Sendai. KyoDaiko Taiko Drummers of Philadelphia will perform Hiraki, an original composition by Kaoru Watanabe as a memorial to the victims and a celebration of the resilience of the survivors. Tickets: $20, $15 for seniors (65+) and students 416 Queen St, Philadelphia, PA 19147.

Thursday, April 18, 7pm Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts with Kyodaiko@Shofuso Japanese House & Garden Doors open at 5pm for guided tours of Shofuso until 6:45pm. This performance is outdoors and will happen weather permitting. Tickets: $20, $15 for seniors (65+) and students 100 Horticulture Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19122.

Saturday, April 20, 6:30pm-Midnight with Kyodaiko @ 105th Anniversary Gala dinner, Settlement Music School(Philadelphia, PA) Grand Ballroom, Hyatt at The Bellevue, 200 South Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19102.

April 2013: Tohoku Artist Caravan (Sendai, Japan) Kaoru will be performing with fellow past members of KODO, traveling to Sendai, one of the areas of Japan hardest hit in the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Kaoru and his colleagues are raising money for this project. Contribute to this project on their crowdfunding sites on Campfire (Japanese)or Indiegogo (English)! In the same vein as Kickstarter, they must raise at least 2 million yen or else the project will not be funded at all! You can contribute on Campfire now or stay tuned for the Indigogo site in English soon. Find Artist Caravan on social media: Facebook and Twitter (search for #ArtistCaravan)

Thank you and hope to see you all soon.

Kaoru

Kenny Endo and Kaoru Watanabe's sold out show at the Baruch Performing Arts Center (Music From Japan Festival 2013) in February! Photo by Ken Howard 

March 2013

Tuesday, March 5th at 7:30pmwith Kenny Endo & Sumie Kaneko at ShapeShifter Lab $12 cover Presented by Music from Japan

Saturday, March 9th from 10:00am-6:00pm (full schedule here) Panelist: Summit on “The Future of Japanese Music and Strategies for the 21st Century” Presented by the Institute for Medieval Japanese Studies Partially sponsored by the Japan Foundation Scandinavia House, Victor Borge Hall (58 Park Avenue, between 37th & 38th St.) Free and open to the public.

For inquiries please contact the Institute for Medieval Japanese Studies at 212-854-7403 ormedielvajapan@columbia.edu.

  Monday, March 11 at ShapeShifter Lab GO:  ORGANIC ORCHESTRA Composed and improvisationally conducted by Adam Rudolph 8:00 PM open rehearsal/concert (public welcome), 9:00 PM concert $15 for both sets

“What a mind blowing experience to see and hear Adam Rudolph´s Go Organic Orchestra deliver its musical message as the last act of Tampere Jazz Happening 2012. The band showed the ecstatic audience what organic really means! One of the best bands of the festival this year, no doubt” -Seppo Pietikäinen Tampere festival MC

Saturday, March 16 at Asia Society of Houston at 7:30pm Flutes of Hope Concert ft. Kaoru Watanabe, fue and taiko; Akihito Obama and Ralph Samuelson, shakuhachi; and Sumie Kaneko, koto and shamisen.

Two years after the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami, the people of Japan continue to grieve the loss of loved ones, grapple with the enormity of rebuilding, and find comfort in the ties that bind community. Together with the Consulate General of Japan—Houston, Asia Society Texas Center proudly presents Flutes of Hope, a project created by four renowned masters of traditional Japanese flutes and stringed instruments. Fresh from a stop at Carnegie Hall, the quartet brings a timeless message of hope and healing that speaks to the best of the human spirit.

Presented in commemoration of the 2011 Japan Earthquake and Tsunami and in partnership with the Consulate General of Japan-Houston.

1370 Southmore Blvd. Houston, TX 77004. 713.496.9901

Monday, March 25 at ShapeShifter Lab GO:  ORGANIC ORCHESTRA Composed and improvisationally conducted by Adam Rudolph 8:00 PM open rehearsal/concert (public welcome), 9:00 PM concert $15 for both sets

Sunday, March 31 at NYU Skirball Center Bella Gaia: Origin Stories of Japan at 6:30pm Presented by J-Collabo Buy tickets ($15-$75) here: https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/921353

Discover a new collaborative project by J-COLLABO which seeks to unite important Japanese historical monuments with prominent locations in the U.S. under the theme of Japanese culture and art. The final product will be a fantastic multimedia live performance made visible to the world online.

A spectacular music and visual art performance connecting Japan! We are developing this original art and music performance with the brilliant composer violinist Kenji Williams.  Our goal is to present a new vision of Japan through a collaboration between Bella Gaia, a visual art performance originating from NY that uses NASA images, and various artists who carry on Japanese traditional arts (Noh, Gagaku, Shomyo). The resulting show will be a valuable experience.

 

WYNC Gig Alert!

An especially exciting announcement: Kenny Endo and Kaoru's show on March 5th with guest Sumie Kaneko was posted on WYNC Public Radio's Music Hub Gig Alert!

http://soundcheck.wnyc.org/articles/music-hub/2013/mar/05/gig-alert-kenny-endo-kaoru-watanabe/

Check out the link above, where you can download a FREE track of 'Together Alone' from Kenny and Kaoru's brand new album, Convergence.

SHOW DETAILS:

Tuesday, March 5 7:30pm, $12 at door

At ShapeShifter Lab 18 Whitwell Place (between Carroll and 1st St) Brooklyn, NY 11215 A 3 minute walk away from the R train to Union St. and 4th ave

Kenny Endo and Kaoru's performance is presented by Music from Japan.

KW Taiko Center: 'Spring Break!'

ANNOUNCEMENT: Effective March 1st, 2013: The Kaoru Watanabe Taiko Center is taking a 'spring break,' and postponing all taiko classes as it transitions to a new Brooklyn home!

For those of you who have an insatiable desire to play, please contact Kaoru at kaoru@watanabekaoru.com to arrange for private sessions. For those of you who feel this break will affect your ability to continue and would like a refund for the remainder of your classes you have purchased, please email Evan at evan@taikonyc.com.

Please catch the latest progress updates and announcements at the taiko center's website and send any questions to info@taikonyc.com.

Thank you for your support and patience. We look forward to our re-opening and seeing you soon!

Peace,

Patty

Kaoru and Kenny Endo highlighted in Japan Daily Press and The Mainichi

Hi everyone, Kaoru and Kenny are the subjects of two articles recapping their sold-out performance at the 38th Annual Music from Japan Festival in New York City this weekend! Read on!

Taiko concert pays tribute to disaster victims, wow U.S. audience February 25, 2013 by Jody Godoy, The Mainichi (via Kyodo News)

US audience in awe of Japanese traditional musician' tribute to 2011 disaster victims February 26, 2013 by Cherrie Lou Billones, Japan Daily Press

Music from Japan presents Kenny, Kaoru, & Sumie

Music from Japan presents:Kenny Endo, Kaoru Watanabe, and special guest Sumie Kaneko!

March 5, 2013 at 7:30pm ShapeShifter Lab in Brooklyn, NY (map) Tickets $12 at the door.

Kenny Endo: http://www.kennyendo.com/

Sumie Kaneko: http://sumiekanekomusic.com/

Music from Japan 2013

Hi everyone, The 38th Season of the great Music from Japan Festival opens in New York tonight. Kenny Endo and Kaoru are performing at the Baruch Performing Arts Center at 8:00pm. They are giving a pre-show lecture and demonstration at 7:15. Ticket information below.

Sat, Feb 23, 2013 at 8pm Baruch Performing Arts Center (Engelman Recital Hall), New York City

Rhythms of Japanese Drums and Flutes — Kenny Endo and Kaoru Watanabe: Taiko and Fue

Artists: Kenny Endo, taiko (drums) Kaoru Watanabe, taiko (drums) and fue (bamboo flutes)

Program: Kenny Endo: Jugoya

Kaoru Watanabe: Together Alone

traditional: Chakuto Kenny Endo: Symmetrical Soundscapes ; Sand

Kaoru Watanabe: Hiraki

Endo and Watanabe: Chigen

Kenny Endo: Spirit Sounds

Kenny Endo: Swing, Soul and Sincerity arrangements of traditional pieces and new compositions/improvisations by Kenny Endo and Kaoru Watanabe. Full program details to follow.

TICKETS: $20 individual concert tickets $35 festival weekend pass $12 student/senior rush (Sunday only) PLEASE NOTE: All phone and online orders incur $2 handling fees IN PERSON: Baruch Box Office PHONE: 646-312-5073 ONLINE:www.baruch.cuny.edu/bpac

Baruch Performing Arts Center Engelman Recital Hall Baruch College: East 25th Street between Lexington Avenue and 3rd Avenue

A note from Team TokyoDex

Kaoru will be performing with fellow past members of KODO in a project called Artist Caravan, which will travel to Sendai, one of the areas of Japan hardest hit in the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Here is a video about the project: http://youtu.be/8AH01PLkoA4

Campfire crowdfunding site (Japanese): http://camp-fire.jp/projects/view/564. Indiegogo (English):http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/327878

In the same vein as Kickstarter, they must raise at least 2 million yen or else the project will not be funded at all!Read more on our website:http://www.taikonyc.com/2013/02/19/support-artist-caravan/

See their note below!

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皆様、

２０１３年も、もう２月 。まだまだ寒さが厳しいですが、雲ひとつない真っ青な空を見上げていると、春が来るのも近いのでは？なんて思ったりしているTokyoDexチームです。

さて、今月皆様にお知らせしたいトップニュースは４月に行われるアートプロジェクト『東北アーティスト・キャラバン』!!! 東北アーティスト・キャラバンは、日本各地のアーティストやミュージシャンが連れだって気仙沼市唐桑町に集まり、人々が待ちのぞんでいた文化注入をこの地域で行おうというプロジェクトです。地域を再生し、日本国内／世界中から観光客を呼び寄せ、人々の関心を高め、地元経済を立て直すお手伝いをする長期のアートプロジェクトです。またクライマックスには、著名な太鼓芸能集団「鼓童」OBの共演を目玉とするオープニング・パーティーをとり行います。

CAMPFIREを通して、東北アーティストキャラバンのファンドサイトも起動開始！500円からの支援が可能で、金額に応じてアーティストオリジナルグッズなどといった、様々なリータンも提供。このプロジェクトを実現できるように１円でも多くのサポートが必要です！みんな一緒に唐桑町へ色を届けませんか？ご支援のほど宜しくお願い致します！

今回の「あれやこれやカフェ」Vol.14はアーティストキャラバンのキックオフ・パーティーとして３／８（金曜日）に参加アーティスト達もでる。東京からもこのプロジェクトを盛り上げちゃいます！もちろんいつもと変わらず入場無料！

アーティストキャラバンのアップデートはfacebook pageはこちらから。ぜひ“いいね！”をお願いします！

TokyoDexのニュースはFacebookとTwitterで随時更新していますので要チェックですよ！

下記の「Other News」も是非ご覧下さい。

それでは今回はこの辺で。皆様のサポートお願い致します！

TokyoDex一同

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Hi folks,

Even as the cold weather continues, Team TokyoDex already has eyes on the Spring when and our April 2013 Tohoku Artist Caravan project. The Artist Caravan is an art project designed to bring a much-needed cultural infusion to a community in Northeastern Japan hit hard by the 2011 disaster. Artists and musicians from all over Japan will gather in the town of Karakuwa, Kesennuma to engage in art installations and live performances culminating in an opening party that features a reunion of former members of the famed taiko ensemble Kodo.

Please check out project details on our Campfire or Indiegogo fundraising sites. If you can read Japanese, please use the Campfire site because we really need help in reaching that goal. English speakers can use the Indiegogosite. We need your support to make this project a reality!

On March 8, we will officially launch the Artist Caravan at This&That Cafe Vol. 14. Many of the Artist Caravan participating artists will be there, and it promises to be yet another night of great art and music. Entrance is free as always, so please come by!

Please don't forget to “Like” our Artist Caravan page on facebook as well, and be sure to check out the "Other News" section below.

Thanks everyone, and hope to see you all soon.

The TokyoDex Team