Midori Takada

Japan's Midori Takada is a gifted percussionist and composer, whose ambient, minimalist music combines East Asian and African traditions with jazz and progressive classical sounds. Born in Tokyo in 1951, Takada honed her skills studying at Tokyo's University of Arts. After graduating, she made her professional debut performing with the Berlin RIAS Symphony Orchestra in the '70s. 

 

Also during this period, she began expanding beyond classical music, exploring various Asian and African musical forms and instrumentation. She then spent several years as a member of the Mkwaju Ensemble, releasing such albums as 1981's 'Mkwaju' alongside keyboardist/composer Joe Hisaishi.

 

In 1983, she released her debut solo album, the highly regarded and innovative 'Through the Looking Glass'. Recorded over two days, the album showcased Takada performing on a variety of instruments like harp, vibraphone, and synthesizers, as well as found objects including reed organs, bells, ocarinas, and glass cola bottles. She then paired with shō player Mayumi Miyata for 1987's 'Nebula'. Takada returned in 1990 with 'Lunar Cruise', a collaborative project with jazz pianist Masahiko Satoh, as well as Yellow Magic Orchestra's Haruomi Hosono, and Kazutoki Umezu.

 

Over the years, she has also collaborated on world various world-fusion projects including performances with Ghana's Kakraba Lobi, Burkina Faso's Farafina Band, Korean saxophonist Kang Tae-Hwan, and many more. Takada's third solo album, 'Tree of Life', followed in 1999. Along with her solo work, she has composed for film and video game soundtracks, contributing to such franchises as "Final Fantasy", "Haibane-Renmei", and "Akira Senju's Tetsujin 28", among others. Takada has also worked on live theater productions, including collaborating with Tadashi Suzuki and his Suzuki Company of Toga on well-received adaptations of "Electra" and "King Lear". She also taught for many years at the Tokyo National University of Arts. In 2017, Takada toured in support of the reissuing of first two solo albums. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]