COURTESY OF HEADS UP INTERNATIONAL
Hiroshima's latest CD "The Bridge" and band members June Kuramoto, front left, with Dean Kuromoto at right, Kimo Cornwell, back left, Terry Steele, Fred Schreuders, Danny Yamamoto and Dean Cortez.
Koto keeps
Kuramoto busyThe Hiroshima member
finds herself in demand
in Hollywood circles
June Kuramoto says she'll always consider herself an "L.A. girl" -- which is a good thing, because the koto player for the veteran fusion group Hiroshima is always in close proximity to Tinseltown for work on music scores for film and TV projects.
Her work can be heard on the soundtrack for Tom Cruise's "The Last Samurai," in theaters now.
Speaking by phone from her Big Island hotel room, where she and the band have started an interisland tour, Kuramoto said film composer Hans Zimmer approached her to contribute some koto parts to the Edward Zwick epic. They had worked together on the 1989 Michael Douglas yakuza thriller "Black Rain," directed by Ridley Scott. Kuramoto also contributed to Harry Gregson-Williams' "Blade II" score and did work for the popular "Xena Warrior Princess" TV series.
Hiroshima
With special guest Kenny EndoWhere: Kapono's Aloha Tower Marketplace
When: 5 p.m. tomorrow
Tickets: $25 and $35 advance, $30 and $40 at the door. Advance tickets available through Kapono's (536-2161) and the Taiko Center of the Pacific (737-7236).
Also: 7 p.m. today at Kauai Community College. Tickets: $35.
Call: 808-242-2787
"My part, recorded at Hans' studio, was later overdubbed to the orchestral score," she said. "The music was already totally written out, but in a Western notation for a harp. I then had to transcribe the music to koto, which is a little more challenging, because a harp has three times as many strings, plus a koto has movable frets. So I had to ask what range he wanted, which octave he's talking about and rework the bass parts. But he also allowed little places for me to put my own feel into it -- he's a genius at this."
In addition to maintaining a busy tour schedule with Hiroshima to promote the band's latest album, "The Bridge," released in late June, Kuramoto has been occupied with other activities outside of Los Angeles. She recently participated in an annual ghost story stage program in San Francisco, presenting chilling tales from the Asian Pacific area and the Cherokee nation.
When Hiroshima was last here in August 2002, Kuramoto had just released her solo album, "Spirit and Soul." "It's selling really good," she says enthusiastically, "considering I've been doing (the promotion) by myself. I'm always getting compliments for the music on the CD, and I'm just ecstatic. I feel so fortunate that I can sell them at Hiroshima concerts."
Another related CD available at the band's gigs and exclusively on its Web site is "Spirit of the Season."
"It's our Christmas album that'll also be available next year in stores," Kuramoto said. "We'll be playing some of the holiday music in concert and help make things festive -- songs like 'I'll Be Home for Christmas,' 'Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer, 'The Little Drummer Boy,' 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' and 'Spirit of the Season,' a beautiful song written by Dan" (Kuramoto, that is, band leader, local boy and June's ex-husband).
ONE CHANGE in the lineup since Hiroshima was here last is the departure of Johnny Mori, who is now artistic director of the Japan-America Theatre in Los Angeles. Sitting in on the interisland tour will be taiko drum master Kenny Endo, who has known the band since the late 1970s, "when Johnny Mori would, once in a while, ask me to play along with him and the band."
Endo has always split his time between here and Los Angeles, and from 1975 to '80, he would occasionally sit in with the band during their L.A.-area concerts.
A portion of tomorrow's concert proceeds will benefit the Taiko Center of the Pacific, run by Endo and his wife, Chizuko. The couple's youth group will open the show at 5 p.m.
"We've always remained in touch over the years -- June last played with my taiko drum ensemble in L.A. in May, and I also did a big performance with the band at the Playboy Jazz Festivals at the Hollywood Bowl that same month," Endo said.
"Except for one showcase taiko solo, when I play with Hiroshima, I want to add and not detract or take away from their music," he said. "It's a pleasure to play with them. They're all great musicians, and it makes coming in a lot of fun. It's a real challenge for me, especially since the band is sounding real good in its current lineup."
Click for online
calendars and events.
