Kitaro
http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=31009
Kitaro serenade
Once again, the maestro mesmerises fans with his ethereal music at his recent Genting concert
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| A multi-talented musician, Kitaro plays many musical instruments; (above) explaining the segment of his music dedicated to Mother Nature and (below) blowing the five-foot long wind instrument. |
Bearing in mind that the man is a living legend and musical maestro, you must also be prepared to leave conventional musical styles behind when you enter his domain.
He has been quoted in the past that his music comes from a power beyond – from heaven to be exact – and that it flows through his body and out of his fingers when he composes.
The fact that he has never studied music, don’t read or write music and, according to him, "never practises" – it is indeed hard to fathom how those beautiful out-of-this-world sounds come from.
It was certainly a different experience when I attended his Kitaro Live in Genting 2009 concert at the Arena of Stars last Saturday.
There was an air of respect, and after the initial cheers and applause that greeted his appearance on stage, the packed hall settled down to enjoy his first piece.
It was a new song that Kitaro said has yet to be released. It was performed with the double flute and his trademark improvisations.
This was followed by a surreal performance in the dark. As the whole hall was plunged into darkness with only the screen flashing scenes of different landscapes, the seasons and a kaleidoscope of sky colours, the audience either focused their attention on the screen or closed their eyes and immersed themselves in the rousing sounds of Alex, Gamelan, Morning Prayer, Waterfront Mandolins and Oasis.
When the lights came back on, Kitaro reappeared and explained the segment was a dedication to Mother Nature.
His music offers a certain ethereal quality, often spiritually uplifting and emotionally stirring but when suddenly thrown into the dark with no warning, that unfortunately did not put me in the right frame of mind to absorb his magic.
But the rest of the audience seemed to enjoy the moment, quietly and reverently opening themselves to his every note.
He continued his performance with more rousing numbers, the most notable being Silk Road, from his first documentary film, followed by his award-winning soundtrack of the movie Heaven and Earth. 
The man was not only a musician but also a conductor on stage, and his expressions, body language and movements – he’s perpetually in motion – became part of the whole show.
He’s also backed by a small but brilliant group of musicians – two keyboardists, a drummer, a guitarist and violinist Steve Kindler, who has apparently been with him from the beginning. Together, they gave an atmospheric, powerfully emotive and multi-textured performance.
His musical blend of eastern and western cultures and traditions was mesmerising, even to the ears of the uninitiated.
And the man plays a variety of instruments – all self-taught! These include the more common keyboard, guitar, drums, bass and synthesisers, and the unusual, including what looked like a bird cage and a long (at least five-foot) wind instrument.
He ended the night with the beautiful Matsuri and received a standing ovation, returning to stage to present The Light of the Spirit and Free Flight before finally calling it a night to another standing ovation.
All in, I believe this to be one of the most subdued concerts I have ever attended – there were no fans rushing to the stage with flowers or gifts or screams to disrupt the magic of the night.
Yet, there was no doubt in mind that Kitaro is the man of the night.
