Kitaro brings blend of music to Bijou

Internationally known musician Kitaro performs tonight at 8 p.m. at the Bijou Theatre. This is his first appearance in Knoxville, and he said he is excited at the prospect.

"I've never seen Knoxville, but my feelings are that it's a nice place," he said. "I'm looking forward to meeting a new audience and having them hear my music. I like to meet the people and talk to them."

Kitaro speaks easily of his career, with openness and a bright sense of humor. Currently touring to support his new album, Mandala, he spoke of the importance of the album in his career.

"Mandala is like the second stage of my life," he said. "This album is the start of a new experience."

When most people think of Kitaro, they may think of New Age music. The artist himself prefers to think of his work as "spiritual music," and points out the differences he sees.

"New age music started in the middle of the Ô80s," Kitaro said. "My music started in the middle of the '70s. My music hasn't changed, but people have categorized it. My music sometimes does not feel New Age. It is just my music, my spiritual feelings put to music."

His trademark style came to life when these influences met with the music of his homeland, Japan.

"I wanted to combine these things: Asian sounds with Western," he said.

Oddly, for an artist whose music is labeled New Age, Kitaro cites American bluesmen B.B. King and Otis Redding as his earliest influences.

"These songs came from the U.S. to Japan," he said. "We started our musical life from this music, rock and roll and progressive rock."

Known for his anthem synthesizer orchestrations, Kitaro sees his skills more simply.

"My first instrument was the guitar," he said, "and I still call myself a guitarist."

In recent years, this desire to unify the music of both hemispheres brought Kitaro into collaboration with several groups of Tibetan monks. With Mickey Hart, of the Grateful Dead, Kitaro helped the Gyuto monks organize a tour of the U.S. to publicize the turmoil in their nativeTibet.

"After that I've had times to work with other groups of them," he said. "Last year I toured with Nawang, who lives at my house now." Nawang is a monk and musician whose upcoming album Kitaro is producing.

Through this mixture of East and West, Kitaro has earned the New Age label.