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Written by David Leong
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Thursday, 24 May 2007 |
 K A M E
W A T A
K U R A
B A B A
Wednesday, May 30, 8pm
Unknown Theater
1110 Seward Street
Los Angeles CA
Tickets: $15
available at door or by reservation: 323 363-0701
Exploring new creative possibilities for the Japanese taiko (drum), fue
(flute), and koto (zither), Kame Wata Kura Baba is a collaboration of
four accomplished musicians brought together by their common desire to
find a contemporary voice for traditional instruments.
Shoji Kameda and Masato Baba are two of North America's brightest taiko
artists and founding members of Los Angeles based On Ensemble. In 2002
On Ensemble received the Duane Ebata Memorial Fund Award "in
recognition of emerging artists of promise who are furthering the
development of Asian Pacific American performing arts." In 2005 their
first studio album "Dust and Sand" was called "completely original and
brilliantly conceived" by TransformOnline and Modern Drummer magazine
called the group "an exciting taiko ensemble looking at new ways to
apply traditional Japanese drums." In 2006 Kameda was chosen in a
highly competitive process as one of 18 artists from throughout Asia
and US to participate in the Asian Pacific Performing Arts Exchange, a
six week intensive residency held by UCLA's Center for Intercultural
Performance.
Kaoru Watanabe
Born in St. Louis, MO in 1975, Kaoru grew up in a musical household,
father a violinist and mother a harpist in the St. Louis Symphony
Orchestra. He began playing flute at 13 and studied at the Manhattan
School of Music as a jazz flute/ saxophone major while also joining the
New York based taiko group Soh Daiko. After graduating, Kaoru moved to
Japan and studied Noh Kan and Edo Matsuri Bayashi styles of fue in
Tokyo. In 1999 he became a performing member of the internationally
touring taiko group Kodo. He specialized in the various fue,
composing, and acting as artistic director of Kodo's annual world music
festival, Earth Celebration. In 2006 Kaoru left Kodo to pursue a career
as a solo artist in New York City.
June Kuramoto
For over 30 years June Kuramoto has been at the forefront of Asian
American music as the driving artistic force of the Grammy nominated
jazz fusion band Hiroshima. She has toured with Miles Davis, played on
countless recordings from Taste of Honey to Ozomatli and featured on
many movie soundtracks including Oscar nominated "The Thin Red Line"
and "The Last Samurai". She has also released two solo albums "Spirit
and Soul" and "The Way of Tea" and continues to compose, record and
perform with Hiroshima and as a soloist.
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