Interview Part 2: Kaoru Watanabe talks music, food, taiko, and cultural appropriation

This interview is a follow-up conversation I had with Kaoru after we had previously talked about studying and etiquette in Japan. If you haven’t checked it out, I would recommend listening to it because provides some foundation for the topics covered in this second interview.

https://www.eienhunterishikawa.com/blog/interview-kaoru-watanabe-talks-japanese-etiquette-studying-teaching-and-performing

We had recorded this part 2 interview a couple of years ago and I recently edited the audio to make it available here. Listening to our conversation, I was struck once again by Kaoru’s perceptive insights about food, taiko, and how to think discerningly about cultural appropriation. He is a serious student of music and culture, and I always recognize his strong passion and integrity whenever we have a chance to hang out. Sometimes I think Kaoru and I are more than like-minded. There are times where he says something and it’s word-for-word the same way I think of it. Did he get that from me? Or did I forget I got that from him? Or just coincidence stemming from our personal tastes and past experiences? This conversation features a lot of those moments.

I’m not sure if the ideas in this interview might be perceived by some people as contentious. To me it was a genuine and honest conversation about how Kaoru and I think about these topics. I’m always grateful for his willingness to make time and discuss whatever I’m interested in asking him. I hope you find this interview as interesting as I did.

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Website
http://www.watanabekaoru.com

Youtube channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfBL_1I2mRPcVK2gvyRAeNA

Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/kaorufue/

Kaoru Watanabe Taiko Center
http://www.taikonyc.com

Kaoru Watanabe, a New York-based composer and musician specializing in Japanese flutes and percussion, works with such groundbreaking artists as Laurie Anderson, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Yo-Yo Ma, Wes Anderson, Bando Tamasaburo, Simone Leigh, and Jason Moran. Watanabe is known for the artful and innovative ways he merges traditional Japanese music and theater elements with the contemporary Western world.

Originally from St. Louis, MO, where his parents played in the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Watanabe played classical music as a child before going to the Manhattan School of Music to study jazz flute and saxophone. He then spent a decade in Japan, re-discovering and diving deep into his cultural roots as a member of the iconic taiko drumming ensemble Kodo. Watanabe studied a wide variety of traditional Japanese folk dances, songs, drumming, Noh, Kyogen, tea ceremony, woodworking, and rice farming to deepen his understanding of Japanese culture and the function and place of the performing arts within it.

As a solo artist, Watanabe seeks to collaborate with artists who embrace both tradition and innovation, such as Eva Yerbabuena, Imani Uzuri, Tamangoh, Adam Rudolph, Alicia Hall Moran, Rhiannon Giddens, Jen Shyu, Susie Ibara, Hassan Hakmoun, Zakir Hussein, Gamin, Vernon Reid, Wu Man, Tseyen Tserendorj, and many others.

As a composer, Watanabe writes for various, often unconventional instrumentations and explores a wide variety of compositional techniques. He has written orchestral works for the Sydney Symphony, premiering them at the Sydney Opera House. Watanabe composed music for the Academy Award-nominated Isle of Dogs soundtrack and three separate commissions for Yo-Yo Ma's Silkroad ensemble. Watanabe's compositions often explore social justice, politics, history, and heritage. He has written a piece called Iki, meaning "breath," a mantra-like performance-art piece for Eric Garner. Watanabe has written for prepared koto about the Japanese fighter planes used in WWII, a symbol of both the beauty and genius of Japanese culture and the evil and destruction it perpetrated. During the pandemic, Watanabe developed a body of work that uses electronics to sample and playback his flutes, drums, and voice live, allowing him to create ensemble works solo that he titled INCENSE.

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How to make yuzu kosho

Is there a citrus fruit more amazingly intoxicating than yuzu? It’s my favorite by far, and I don’t think it’s only because I grew up with a huge yuzu tree in the back yard. I often see aroma descriptors that combine lemon, grapefruit, and orange but to me they don’t quite convey the magic of yuzu. Outside of Japan, they are hard to find, expensive, and typically not fresh and vibrant, so my solution was to grow it at home. After buying a small potted yuzu tree at the local nursery 3 years ago, it finally produced around 20 fruits this year. I can’t overstate how precious these yellow fruits were as they slowly grew from flower to pea-size to lime-size and finally turning yellow in late fall.

Yuzu peel is great on so many things like udon, soba, nabemono, pickles, salad, and pretty much anything. The juice mixed with equal parts shoyu makes a fantastic ponzu for dipping anything. I decided to make yuzu kosho to take full advantage of the fresh fruit by stretching it out with green chiles and preserving it with salt for longer storage. I found various recipe in books and online with a wide range of methods and ingredient ratios, but most only contain 3 ingredients. I decided to use equal parts yuzu peel and jalapeno with 10% salt by weight. This salt amount is on the lower side of the recipes I saw but I think it’s more than enough. I would use less salt if eating the yuzu kosho while fresh, but more salt if the goal was longer storage in the fridge.

While many recipes use a food processor, I decided to make it in batches in my biggest mortar and pestle. For this method, it’s important to mince the yuzu peel and chiles as finely as possible. I learned about a great way to maximize the yield of yuzu peel without getting the white pith on this MIKLIA recipe where you peel it by hand and use a spoon to gently remove the pith. It works great and I will always process yuzu peel this way in the future.

This recipe turned out to be very delicious, but I would prefer a more pronounced chile flavor and heat. In late December I wasn’t able to find the variety of chiles that are available in summer and early fall so jalapeno was the only option I had. The had virtually no heat so my yuzu kosho was more mild than the typical versions in Japan where green or red togarashi chile are often used. I think a blend of chiles such as serrano, togarashi, habanada, habanero, and cayenne would add a lot of fruity and spicy character. Next year, I will try to work on the timing of my yuzu ripening with the availability of home-grown chiles. I am satisfied with this ratio of yuzu, chile, and salt.

Yuzu kosho is delicious when added to noodles, hotpot, sashimi, tofu, soup, tenpura, and many other foods. I added some to natto and it was spectacular. Of course you can purchase shelf-stable jars of yuzu kosho at an Asian grocer with the understanding that the home-made version is something completely different. If yuzu is unavailable, I think it’s worth trying the recipe with a blend of other citrus. I might try 3 meyer lemon, 1 grapefruit, and 1 navel orange (or blood orange) as a starting point. Or make them separately and blend after to find the ratio you enjoy. Have fun mixing your yuzu kosho into anything you like, although I would personally not put it into the bathtub.

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Yuzu Kosho
150g yuzu peel, fine mince (around 8 medium)
150g jalapeno, fine mince (around 6 large)
30g sea salt (10% of total weight of yuzu and jalapeno)

1. Peel yuzu by hand and remove pith with a spoon, then mince finely.

2. Remove seeds from jalapeno chiles and mince finely.

3. Combine with salt and pound into a paste in mortar and pestle (in batches depending on amount).

4. Store in fridge or freezer.

Interview: Yumi Torimaru talks taiko, fue, shamisen, and music culture in Japan

I had a fun time talking with Yumi for this interview. I think we have a mutual understanding especially because of our strong connection to both Japanese and North American arts and culture. When I first moved to Portland, Yumi kindly bought me lunch and welcomed me to the area with warm enthusiasm. It’s always nice to have a friendly greeting because going to a new location can be somewhat challenging. Since then, we’ve become friends and colleagues who also share an appreciation for high-quality natto along with other food and drinks.

Yumi’s group Takohachi is always fun to watch. As I mention in the interview, my favorite part is their distinctly unique style where energetic original pieces are mixed with a minyo (Japanese folk arts) feel. In this way, I would love to see more taiko groups that simultaneously embrace their own voice and appreciate a deeper connection to the roots of the instruments and music which came from Japan. Yumi is also very active with other projects where she collaborates with various musicians and other artists.

We covered a lot in our conversation including her early musical experience, finding taiko by chance in the US, the pros and cons of getting a natori (stage name), quitting her day job to be a full time musician, her recent trip to Japan, her many great teachers, and much more. There is a lot of material on her websites and social media so please check out the links below. Yumi sent me four audio excerpts which are interspersed throughout the interview:

Sakura in Spanish Wind by Toshi Onizuka (guitar/percussions/arrangement), Yumi Torimaru (shamisen/shinobue), Otsuki (vocal)

Tawaratsumi Uta from Nanbu (Aomori)
This was made with my tsugaru shamisen teacher (Ryuhiro Oyama), his sister (Chigusa Takehana, vocal), and her two daughters (Marino/ Minori Kajiwara, taiko/Narimono) with my shinobue.

Portland Raincolors by Yumi Torimaru

Sora no Tori by Yumi Torimaru

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Kotori Japanese Music
www.KotoriJapaneseMusic.com

Takohachi
www.takohachi.org

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Yumi Torimaru founded her music ensemble, Takohachi, in 2006 in Portland, Oregon. Takohachi became a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 2007 to preserve traditional Japanese music and dance and create innovative taiko drum performances using Japan's strongly moving music and rhythm element. She has created hundreds of Takohachi shows to educate and entertain throughout Oregon at schools, libraries, festivals, and cultural events.

In recent years she established a smaller ensemble, Takohachi’s Q-Ensemble, to perform flexibly with high demand. She also has undertaken a solo project Kotori Japanese Music focusing more on cultural content. With all the newer projects, she freely expresses her originality in music using Taiko drums, Shinobue (bamboo flutes), and Tsugaru Shamisen (Japanese lute). The smaller ensembles and Solo projects allow her to do more collaborations with other musicians and artists in different genres. Duo units, Maido Mind (shinobue and piano/voice), and Takohachi X (multi-Japanese instrumental) are actively performing. She enjoys being an ambassador to introduce Japanese culture through music to American communities and exporting new work with a fusion of American Experience back to Japan. With Takohachi, she wants to build a special two-way relationship with Japan to bridge the two cultures.

In 2016, she became an apprentice of Ryuhiro Oyama, the distinguished Tsugaru Shamisen (Japanese lute) master of one of the biggest Tsugaru Shamisen Associations (Oyama-Kai) in Japan. He is well known for his deep knowledge of the Tsugaru style Minyo (folk songs). In 2020, Yumi started to take online professional shinobue training by a world-renowned musician, Yasukazu Kano.

Interview: Hanz Araki talks shakuhachi, Irish flute, and evading false typecasting

It was a real pleasure to interview Hanz, who is someone I have wanted to feature here for quite a while. We first met seven years ago at one of his Irish music gigs when I moved to Portland, and I could sense our like-mindedness as we chatted during the breaks. Hanz is a wonderful musician and equally accomplished as a shakuhachi artist and Irish flutist. We haven’t had the chance to work together yet but I hope this opportunity will arise in the near future.

In this conversation, Hanz talks about his introduction to the shakuhachi at age 17 and his accelerated training under his father resulting in a performance debut only a few months into his study. He describes some parallels between his Japanese music and Irish music experiences, where some people would try to force their faulty stereotypes into the story. It’s something I can relate to, and while both of us have learned to deal with it, it’s nevertheless unfortunate that such ignorant voices are still common. Hanz also discusses his family’s legacy and his position as the sixth generation Araki Kodo as well as what the future holds for this school.

Hanz kindly sent me his two latest albums - Hankyo & at our next meeting - and I have included excerpts from several pieces in the interview. I hope you will visit his websites (linked below) and consider checking out all of his terrific albums. I had a really fun time talking with Hanz and I’m truly grateful for his time and the thoughtulness he brought to our conversation.

https://hanzaraki.com

https://www.arakikodo.com

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Considered one of the most talented Irish musicians in America today, flautist, whistle player, singer, and Juno Award-winner Hanz Araki has been lauded by publications and audiences alike.  Three decades of musical exploration into Irish, Scottish, Japanese, and American traditions has yielded his distinct style described by Fatea Magazine as “achingly beautiful.”

As the sixth generation of his family to bear the title Araki Kodo, Hanz (short for Hanzaburo, his great-great grandfather’s name) spent his formative years mastering the Japanese end-blown bamboo flute.  Discovering and relishing the melodic and mechanical similarities between shakuhachi and Irish whistle, Hanz applied his natural capacity and boundless curiosity to his Irish heritage.  Taking advantage of the rich Irish music scene in Seattle, where he spent his youth, Hanz quickly became known for his exquisite instrumental work on both Irish whistle and flute and a haunting singing voice that was born to tell tales.

Over the years, Hanz has released 12 albums, including 2019’s critically acclaimed At Our Next Meeting, recorded with Donogh Hennessy in Dingle, Co. Kerry. Festival appearances include the Austin Celtic Festival, the Maine Celtic Celebration, the Missoula Celtic Festival, KVMR Grass Valley Celtic Festival, Milwaukee Irish Festival, Bumbershoot, Celtic Connections, and over 20 years of performances at the Northwest Folklife Festival. Hanz has also been invited to perform with the Seattle Symphony, at the Gates Estate, and for the Japanese Consul General.

Interview: Barbara Merjan talks percussion, taiko, and working on Broadway shows

I have always enjoyed hanging out and talking with Barbara and this interview was another one of those occasions. We first met when I was visiting Kaoru Watanabe in Brooklyn, realizing we both work in a variety of genres a percussionist, drummer, and taiko player. Barbara is a highly accomplished and experienced musician who speaks with thoughtfulness and humility. I was always happy to see her participate in Edo Bayashi classes taught by Suzuki sensei or myself because I knew that she was appreciating the musical intricacies found all throughout that music. We might find ourselves working in incredibly eclectic musical situations, but in fact, it all seems to be connected by the somewhat bizarre reality that we just hit things for a living. I found Barbara’s stories about the Broadway scene very interesting, especially about the issues of gender discrimination as well as the trend toward high-tech production where the musicians are placed in separate rooms rather than in the conventional orchestra pit.

Barbara sent me some video links of some projects she has worked on. The links are below and I would encourage everyone to check them out. She also sent me some audio tracks for me to include in the interview. They are:

I Wonder As I Wander - Julia Simpson’s Christmas album
Mad Coyote Madly Sings - The Character of American Sunlight (Jerome Kitzke)
The Swan and the Vulture - Teetering on the Verge of Normalcy (Guy Klucevsek)

Thank you to Barbara for generously making time to record this conversation. I hope you enjoy listening as much as I did interviewing.

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Barbara Merjan is a drummer and percussionist who has worked in a variety of musical contexts, including Jazz (Newport Jazz Festival, 1980, 2002), Broadway (Cabaret, Sunset Blvd., Cats, Miss Saigon, Fiddler on the Roof, Big, Elf, The Unsinkable Molly Brown….) Pop/Rock (Robert Palmer, Lesley Gore, Women of Woodstock) and Contemporary American Classical (Mad Coyote Ensemble, Linda Fisher).

In addition to these musical styles, she has been studying, performing and teaching Japanese taiko for the past 15 years - Wesleyan University (2016-2020), Kaoru Watanabe Taiko Center.

Ms. Merjan has also recorded in all these genres.

For many years, Ms. Merjan brought music workshops into the NYC public schools via Music Outreach. The workshops were an introduction to music for younger grades with an added focus on reading skills.  Along with musical introductions we always told a children’s story with musical accompaniment.

Bachelor of Music:  Ithaca College 1981
Master of Music:  NYU 1991

Video Links
An excerpt from a piece I performed in with Fumi.  It is Blood Moon.  We did it in Jan. 2020.
https://www.garrettfisher.com/blood-moon

A video from a perfomance a in 2016, of Paha Sapa, by Jerome Kitzke:
https://youtu.be/WRSPPj12vcY

Mad Coyote Madly Sings, also by Jerome Kitzke:
https://youtu.be/Us-d3xv-wyQ

4th movement of Yukiwatari by Midori Larsen.  We performed at the end of 2019:
https://youtu.be/ciD7mTyTLUs