A Tribute to Toru Takemitsu

Performers

• coba, Accordion
• Daisuke Suzuki, Guitar
• Kazumi Watanabe, Guitar
• Tomohiro Yahiro, Percussion

Bios

• coba
  
  coba has come to be more than a name—a name that represents music that crosses thematic boundaries and has a worldwide influence. He has won several international accordion competitions, in addition to releasing 30 recordings in Europe and in Japan.
  
  coba’s music education began at the age of three. When he was 18, coba moved to Italy to study at the Scuola di Musica Luciano Fancelli, where he graduated at the top of the class.
  
  coba has always strived for the best in his music. His success is proven by the excellent reviews he has received worldwide. After Björk saw him perform in London in the late 1990s, she immediately asked coba to join her band for a world tour. Since then, he has become one of the most renowned Japanese artists and he has spent 15 years regularly touring Europe. coba has dramatically transformed the traditional image of the accordion into a new art form that is even compatible with contemporary pop music. This form has arguably come to be known as a genre in itself, known simply as “coba.”
  
  coba is a prodigious composer who is currently working on film soundtracks, traditional and modern Japanese theater, and TV advertisements. In 2001, he received the Japan Academy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music in recognition of his score to Junji Sakamoto’s film Face.

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• Daisuke Suzuki
  
  Daisuke Suzuki is known for his rich tone and musical sensitivity, supported by a masterful technique. Born in 1970, Suzuki began guitar lessons at the age of 8 with Kazuaki Ichimura. He later continued his studies with Shinichi Fukuda and Masahiro Ojiri, while also focusing on composition with Tetsuo Kawakami and Yoshiomi Nakajima.
  
  Since 1993, Suzuki’s international activities have earned him great recognition in Japan and abroad. In 1994, his talents were acknowledged by Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs, when he won a scholarship to study for one year at Salzburg’s Mozarteum. It was there that he expanded his knowledge of the Renaissance and Baroque repertoire under the tutelage of Eliot Fisk and Joaquín Clerch.
  
  Suzuki is considered the foremost interpreter of the music of Tōru Takemitsu, with whom he was very close. He is frequently asked to perform Takemitsu’s music throughout the world, most notably at the Takemitsu memorial concerts held at the Saito Kinen Festival Matsumoto and in 2005 at the Théâtre du Châtélet in Paris. In 2006, he was invited to the Copenhagen Jazz Festival as the guitarist for the Kasper Tranberg Takemitsu project.
  
  Suzuki has released numerous recordings, including The Complete Collection of Guitar Works by Tōru Takemitsu (1997) and The Love and Soul of Tōru Takemitsu, marking the 10th anniversary of Takemitsu’s death.
  
  Suzuki won the Idemitsu Award in 2000 and the Arts Encouragement Prize from Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs in 2006. Internationally, he earned third prize at the 1992 Maria Canals de Barcelona International Competition for Musical Performance.

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• Kazumi Watanabe
  
  Born in Tokyo in 1953, Kazumi Watanabe released his stunning first album at the age of 17. He formed the legendary all-star band KYLYN with Ryuichi Sakamoto in 1979. Later that year, he participated in the Yellow Magic Orchestra World Tour, helping to make it a worldwide success. In the 1980s, Watanabe found further success as a pioneer of fusion music with the release of his record-breaking album To Chi Ka.
  
  In addition to playing with notable international musicians, Watanabe has broken new ground composing and arranging songs in an improvisational mode. At the beginning of the 21st century—to commemorate his 30-year career as a guitarist—he wrote and performed his Guitar Suite, exploring the musical possibilities of the instrument, from acoustic and electric guitars to guitars as folk instruments.
  
  In 2003, Watanabe became a lecturer on the NHK Educational TV program Introduction to Acoustic Guitar, starting a campaign to promote musical culture through the idea of “one instrument for one person.” Beginning in 2005, he was a DJ of the NHK FM radio show Jazz Tonight for two years, gaining him wide popularity as a result of his unique selection of songs and the program’s aim of “jazz enlightenment.”
  
  In 2007, he formed Castle in the Air with his life and musical partner Koko Tanikawa, and wrote music for the movie Grave of the Fireflies, released in summer 2008. This year marks the 40th anniversary of his career.
  
  Visit kazumiwatanabe.net for more information.

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• Tomohiro Yahiro
  
  Tomohiro Yahiro was born in Tokyo in 1961. He spent his childhood on the Canary Islands, where he began to play drums with local rock bands. In 1979, he returned to Japan and made his professional debut the following year.
  
  A highly original performer, Yahiro has collaborated with many international musicians. In the 1980s, he was member of groundbreaking rock bands like Jagatara and S-ken & Hot Bomboms. Yahiro has performed on many recordings and on tour with such popular artists as Tokiko Kato, Masashi Sada, Taeko Ohnuki, Yoshida Minako, Yasuko Agawa, and Joe Hisaishi, among others. He has also been an important musician on the Japanese jazz scene, working with Yosuke Yamashita, Shigeharu Mukai, Kazumi Watanabe, Fumio Itabashi, and Kazutoki Umezu. His presence on the international jazz music stage has included collaborations with Hugo Fattoruso, Pierre Barouh, Joyce, Toninho Horta, and Jorge Cumbo.
  
  In 2004, Yahiro formed Gaia Cuatro with violinist Aska Kaneko, pianist Gerardo Di Giusto, and bassist Carlos Buschini. He is currently touring Japan and is performing in international percussion festivals.

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