Hiroshi Motofuji

Line up

• Hiroshi Motofuji (taiko drummer)
• Isso Yukihiro (fue)

• country:
  Japan
• region:
  Orient
• label:
  not signed
• type:
  Solist
• gender:
  male
• instrumentation:
  instrumental
• artist submitted by:
  Mu:Arts Management

Born in Tokyo in 1965, Hiroshi started playing the taiko drums at the age of 10. As a member of a local taiko group he participated in many festivals all over Japan. At the age of 15, he joined Oedo Sukeroku Daiko, a professional taiko group based in Tokyo (Edo), touring in Japan and Europe. In 1992, he was given the title Master of taiko from Oedo Sukeroku Daiko, and has worked actively as a performer and composer/arranger. From the mid 90's, he studied Edo Hayashi under a master of the Wakayama school, one style of Edo Hayashi. He also studied Korean percussion from a master.

In the late 1980's, he was a founder member of Musashi, the first rock band using Japanese traditional instruments. As the leader, composer and arranger he released two albums for the band. In 1998, Musashi toured USA and South America. In 1999, Hiroshi formed a new taiko group called Da KT, together with Ajo and Noriaki Sekiguchi.

As a cutting-edge and urban taiko group, Da KT has toured internationally in Italy, Romania, Ukraine and Russia. Most recently, Hiroshi has achieved note as a solo taiko performer. He is also featured on the soundtrack of the film Innocence, released in March 2004, one of the few animated films to be featured at the Cannes Film Festival.

Hiroshi is the pioneer of a new style of taiko, a fusion of Japanese and Western music and instruments. With his outstanding technique, dynamic rhythm, and artistic quality, he is widely acknowledged as one of Japan's premier taiko drummers performing in the world today.

"His Taiko surpasses any top-class percussionist in the world" (Recentie Volkstrant 2004 )

Links

• MuArts home page