Sorma |
Uttara-Kuru |
Seiichi Kyoda |
SORMA
SORMA is a group of five composers from different genres,
who have come together to blend the sounds of traditional Asian
folk music with the newest rhythm melodies.Each is active in his
own field as producer, composer, and arranger.
The group is presently performing live in clubs, in addition to
releasing this new album. The word SORMA is an ancient Greek word
meaning "secret medicine."
UTTARA-KURU
The unit, UTTARA-KURU was conceived by Seiichi Kyoda and Kazumasa
Yoshioka, who have combined their talents to create innovative
new sounds, blending ancient Buddhist sutras with house music.
As a result, the sutras, which are a few thousand years old,
have been given new life in the form of club music.
UTTARA-KURU is synonymous with "Shangri-La" in Buddhist
terminology.
SEIICHI KYODA
As well as being the producer for UTTARA-KURU, Seiichi Kyoda
actively produces and creates arrangements in the Pop Music field
world-wide. Using computer technology, he structures an original
world of his own, fusing together Japnese folk songs and ambient
music.
HYBRID
HYBRID is comprised of three producers, active in the Pop music
field, who have united to transform Japanese children's music and
folk songs into the Pop genre. Vocalists for the series are chosen
in accordance with each individual tune.
The song, "Can't Let You Go," is sung by vocalists of the up -and-
coming LA-based ensemble, "Troy, Michael, and Todd."
The group has also performed in a world tour with Lenny Kravitz.
The song, "Sayonara," is performed by Katrina Harper, another
LA-based artist, who is also currently touring with Ray Charles.
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Masashi Abe |
Masaji Watanabe |
Jia Peng Fang |
MASASHI ABE
Masashi Abe is a graduate of the Tokyo National University of Fine
Arts and Music, where he majored in instrumental music.
Not only has he participated in many recordings as a cellist,
but he has also been active as a composer and arranger in the Pop
Music world. His current work is focused on composing unique
musical pieces, using oriental sounds produced by Western
instruments.
MASAJI WATANABE
Born in Tokyo, 1957. Mr. Watanabe graduated from the Toho Gakuen School of Music Piano Department. He participated in Kitaro's Asian tour as a keyboard player in 1984. Since then, he has been working on stages and in studios as a player focusing on the synthesizer. He has released albums as a member of R.E.M. SWIMMING CLUB BAND from 1989. He has been working as the music director for Emiko Shiratori's concert tours since 1990, and released "PIANO GARDEN" by Pacific Garden in 2000.
JIA PENG-FANG
Jia Peng-Fang is a highly acclaimed Asian artist, whose specialty
is playing the Chinese traditional instrument, "niko."
(This instrument, as you may know, has proven to be increasingly
versatile, and has been incorporated into the worlds of both pops
and classics.)
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Tone |
Mizuyo Komiya |
Haruki Mino |
TONE
TONE is a Western ensemble comprised of three musicians,
who play the shakuhachi (an instrument representative of Japan),
and the guitar. The trio's leader, Yukihiko Mitsuka, is well known
not only as a shakuhachi player, but as a master craftsman of the
instrument, as well. TONE expresses the elegance of traditional
Japanese music, and is currently well-received in live
performances in many parts of Japan.
MIZUYO KOMIYA
Mizuyo Komiya is a first class koto player in Japan. Not tied into
traditionalism, she easily adapts her style to collaborate with
those in the Western music field.
HARUKI MINO
Haruki Mino is a talented pianist who was educated at the Tokyo
National University of Fine Arts and Music. Since graduating,
he has been actively composing and arranging, as well as creating
the jazz trio "MINO HARUKI TORIO." Currently, he is producing
original pieces using Japanese military songs as a motif.
RIKIYA YAMASHITA
After he graduated from Musashino Academia Musicae he learned jazz, piano and music theory while working as a keyboardist. He has released two albums on Pacific Moon as a member of SORMA. He has also worked on many film sound-track albums. The delicate touch of his piano sounds comfort listeners' hearts.
MITSUKO
Trained in piano since the age of three. She has been making albums as a singer song writer since graduating from college and she has also composed musical pieces for many artists.
PENNY
Penny is a singer from Okinawa who is active mainly in the field of pops. She has already released several solo albums.
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Eri Sugai |
Missa Johnouchi |
Shao Rong |
ERI SUGAI
Eri SUGAI is an active singer song writer and not only has she provided many artists with musical pieces and produced many CM songs, she is also very talented in expressing the beauty of the voice such as with the expression of the acapella chorus with multiplex recording.
MISSA JOHNOUCHI
She has worked on composing and arrangements for TV dramas and film music since when she was studying at music University. Ms Johnouchi produced eight albums with the Orchestra du Theatre National de l' Opera de Paris from 1989. She studied in France in 1990 and conducted the Orchestra playing the symphony she wrote in 1995. She released her albums, "Asian Blossoms" and "Asian Blossoms II" and enlivened the overseas charts. In addition to her music activities, she has worked widely as a commentator and essayist. As a female Asian musician, it is hoped she will advance onto the world stage.
SHAO RONG
After graduating from the university, she joined The National Shanghai Folk Band as a soloist. She won "The Artistic Excellence Prize" at the Shanghai Art Festival. Then in order to experience a fresh environment for her music, she chose Japan. She became a student of the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. After graduation, she performed as a soloist for The Japan Philharmonic Orchestra in the performance of "Marco Polo" composed by Tan Dun, and invited to the Pan Pacific Music Festival, she played her lute, giving her first performance for "The Cocerto of Lute and String Orchestra" also composed by Tan Dun, winning world-wide attention. At the present she is based in Tokyo and is active on stages all over the world, performing in concerts in Asia, America and Europe.
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Naoyuki Onda |
Kiyoshi Yoshida |
Jiang Xiao-Qing |
NAOYUKI ONDA
Demonstrating talent as a musician since his high school days, Mr. Onda began his professional music activities when he studied at university. Up to the present, he has worked on many pieces for pop artists as a keyboard player, arranger and composer. His sounds, created with comfortable rhythms, describe a tender and calm world. He released the albums gDreamh in 1999 and "WINGS IN THE DAWN" in 2001 on the Pacific Moon label. They were well regarded overseas.
KIYOSHI YOSHIDA
Kiyoshi Yoshida majored in contemporary arrangement and film scoring at the Berklee College of Music. Upon his return to Japan in 1987, he became involved in composing various types of music, including sound tracks and commercial scores as a synthesizer operator and producer. In 1999, he released "ASIAN DRUMS" in sixteen countries including Japan. It won him high acclaim, particularly in the U.S. "ASIAN DRUMS II" came next and was followed by "UBUD" and "UBUD DUA" which he produced with his own band. He has composed sound tracks for NHK TV programs such as "Nihonjin Harukana Tabi" (Japanese on Distant Travels), "Ningen Dokyumento (Human Document)" and "Toukuni Arite Nipponjin" (Japanese in Distant Lands). In 2005 at the Aichi Expo, he directed the music for Kansai Yamamoto's opening act "TOBUZO" (Let's Fly! Festival of Life) In 2006, he was in charge of the music for the film, "Toki o Kakeru Shojo" (The girl who leapt through time) released in the summer of 2006. In 2007, he worked as the music director for the Kansai Yamamoto's KANSAI SUPER SHOW "TAIYO NO FUNE" (The Sun Ship)
JIANG XIAO-QING
Born in Beijing. She received special education on the Gu Zheng from when she was very young, and studied under famous Gu Zheng players including Liu Wei-Shan, Xiang Si-Hua, Fan Shang-E, Zhang Yan and Cao Zheng from when she was eight. She won the first prize, the 'Gold Prize' at the Chinese youth folk instrument solo contest, and she entered The Chinese National Central Conservatory of Music at fifteen. She met Mr. Ryuichi Sakamoto after she came to Japan, and joined him on the sound track of "The Last Emperor" which won an Academy Award for music. She played in his concerts in Japan and the U.S.A., and is highly regarded.
YASUKO KYODA
Born in Hiroshima, 1963. At three, she started learning the piano from her mother, who was a music teacher. She learned the basis of popular music and started band activities while studying at university. Ms Kyoda worked simultaneously as a keyboard player for many artists. She has taken part in many performance, such as live shows, arrangements, producing background music. Since March 2000 she has been focusing on the creative activities that have been her dream for a long time.
SUSUMU UEDA
Graduated from Kyoto City University of Arts, Music Department, majoring in composition. He was chosen to be the, 'Agency for Cultural Affairs Artist Domestic Trainee' for fiscal year 1980, and completed a profound study in Tokyo. He works in a wide range of fields as a composer and arranger, creating works including the Nagano Olympics official song, "WINTER FLAME", and the music performed at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Asian Games in Hiroshima, as well as works for TV programs, commercials and the stage, background music for images, and publishing music scores.
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