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SINGAPORE: The first thing I notice about New Age composer-musician Kitaro is, let's face it, his hair. He was once barred from entering Singapore as a goodwill ambassador for Japan's World Exposition in 1985 because of his trademark mane of long waist-length hair.
However, that incident was ages ago and he now keeps his frizzy hair at a more manageable shoulder length.
It was not his hair that kept my attention. No. What held my attention when I met him at his eco-villa at the Siloso Beach Resort on Sentosa was his grandiose vision for this world, a vision which moved him to hold his Love & Peace Planet Music Tours that have taken him around the globe.
"This world has a lot of wars, killing... but who is singing [about peace], who is going to talk about peace? Nobody says 'peace peace'," said Kitaro as he gestured away frantically. "We need to have Love and Peace; that is the only way."
"I believe that music has a power, energy for changing the person, because music changed my life."
"Our style of music [helps people] feel free, feel love... a more peaceful feeling. They feel the peaceful feeling and then they can shake hands. That's why I am doing this music."
After I listened to his ideas and philosophy on his music, which Kitaro described as "a gift from nature", I thought the 57-year-old New Age maestro from Japan sounded a lot like a 60s hippie: a little naive about this world and perhaps a little high.
However, as he continued to explain what inspired him to hold his concert, it slowly dawned on me that he was actually quite pragmatic and harboured no illusions about the limits of what he can do with his music.
"I don't want to quit from this crazy world. We cannot change it quickly. But one by one, we can change [the people]. Once the audience feels [the music]... they can change," Kitaro continued.
"One by one, we would like to change each person; then change the world."
Musical Perfectionist
His lofty goal has made the composer-musician extremely particular about his music since making a name for himself composing the haunting Grammy award- winning soundtrack of Oliver Stone's epic Vietnam War film "Heaven and Earth" in 1993.
However, the most impressive thing about his work on that project was that he actually rewrote and re-recorded the score whenever Stone made edits to the visuals. Kitaro said the music must fit the visuals to invoke the right emotions and refused to do electronic editing as "cutting and pasting is too easy" and "nothing is created".
Kitaro said he will bring this devotion to producing quality music to his upcoming concert in Singapore, and brushed off criticism that his concerts were getting stale. He steadfastly refused to go mainstream and pander to the pop-loving younger crowd.
"No, I am not going to change my music," Kitaro said, gently shaking his head. "I don't want to change my style for other people. I am not going to worry about it."
He also revealed that he had something special in store for concert-goers in Singapore this time round.
"We will perform [tracks] from my previous CD albums, 'Sacred Journey of Kukai' 1, 2, 3 and from 'Kukai 4', [which] is done but not released yet... at the Singapore show," said Kitaro.
Audiences at his March 9 concert will be the first to hear music from this album.
Kitaro was also very excited that Chinese singer Jane Zhang, 25, who sang in his 2007 Grammy-nominated album "Impressions of West Lake" has managed to take time off and will perform with him at the show, which will also feature a Singaporean Taiko (traditional Japanese drum) team.
"It is a much more powerful show," said Kitaro with a grin.
Catch Kitaro's Love and Peace Planet Music Tour 2010 on March 9 at 8pm at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Tickets are available via SISTIC.
- CNA
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