"Kurofune"- Shakuhachi Duo Josh Smith and Izukawa Hidefumi

Kurofune are a shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute) and piano duo by Josh Smith and Izukawa Hidefumi.

Josh and Hide's music takes you on a musical journey of the senses.Their music is comprised of traditional Zen meditation solo pieces as well as solos and duets for the shakuhachi and piano/synthesizer. Check out some music and videos from their 2 full length CDs available here:

Kurofune (1st self-titled debut album)
Flowing Winds

This Shakuhachi Duo was formed in 2008 in Nara when Josh from Buffalo, New York and Hide from Osaka met through their devoted practice and research of “Jinashi” shakuhachi and its roots.

Josh and Hide first premiered together in a concert at Taimadera Temple, Nakanobo, in Nara as an international shakuhachi duo that conveys a fascinating combination of Japanese traditional culture and modernness. Interestingly, Kurofune is unique because both Josh and Hide are researchers with a PhD. and they both perform and compose original music.

However, they believe that this is possible with the strength and cooperation of two players. Kurofune is here to show how the simple sounds of bamboo can touch people’s hearts. This simplicity in sound is rooted deeply in Japanese culture and nature, and is something that everyone can feel and appreciate.

Profiles

Joshua M. Smith (Joshu)

Other Shakuhachi Website: http://joshu-an.com/

Josh Smith is from Buffalo, NY and currently lives in Katsuragi City, Nara Prefecture, soon to be moving to Grand Island, NY. He graduated from Buffalo State College and received his Master's and PhD from the Graduate School of Human Sciences in the Cultural Sociology Department at Osaka University. His Doctoral thesis was on the traditonal Japanese arts, focusing on aesthetics the shakuhachi's change within this art world.

He studies the shakuhachi under Okada Michiaki, himself a student of the famous Yokoyama Katsuya. He studies traditional Zen meditation pieces called honkyoku, but also plays modern and traditional classical music in ensembles as well as writes his own compositions. In addition to his solo activities in Nara and the Kansai area, he performs as a unit called "Kurofune" that he formed with Izukawa Hidefumi.

They have performed on national TV in Japan, as well as national and international radio. He is a member of the International Shakuhachi Kenshu-Kan, Komuso Kenkyukai, the Society of Research in Asiatic Music, the NPO group "Fuke! Hogaku no Kaze (Blow! The Wind of Traditional Japanese Music), and a friend of Ishikawa Toshimitsu's "Ishi no Kai".

Josh earned the second-place award last summer in the World Shakuhachi Competition held at Sydney, Australia. In February 2009, He received the title of "Master Performer" from Nakanobo at Taimadera Temple in Nara. He has performed at various events both in Japan and overseas, including the pre-events of the Nara Sentosai, Takefu International Music Festival in Fukui, the International Music and Arts Conference at Ateneo de Manila in the Philippines, and Burchfield-Penny Art Center in Buffalo, NY etc.

He released his solo CD called "Sound of the White Phoenix" in November, 2008 that contains traditional Zen meditation pieces and original shakuhachi music, and he had a CD release concert at Taimadera temple. In May, 2009, Kurofune released their first self-titled album that Izukawa Hidefumi sound produced with the shakuhachi and electro-acoustic music. Together with Izukawa's mastery of classical western music, Japanese music, and composition, they have performed throughout Japan, Canada, and the US, bringing a unique blend of traditional music with modern elements to their listeners. Josh strives to maintain a traditional sound as well as explore new outlets of creativity in various genres of music.

Izukawa (Shido) Hidefumi

Other Website (Japanese): http://www.shaku8.jp/

Izukawa was born in 1981, and is from Suita City in Osaka. He graduated from the Osaka University of Arts in music technology. He first encountered the shakuhachi when he took a class at the university. Later, he met Satoshi (Zenpo) Shimura, associate professor and a researcher of Jinashi Shakuhachi. Sharing Shimura's thoughts, he decided to pursue the succession of the vanishing Komuso Shakhachi.

He is a head of the NPO group "Fuke! Hogaku no Kaze (Blow! The Wind of Traditional Japanese Music)," which is run by younger members. He strives to preserve and spread traditional Japanese music with the intention of spreading the greatness of traditional culture to the world. He is a member of the Society of Research in Asiatic Music, Information Processing Society of Japan, Komuso Kenkyuukai, Kyochiku Zenji Housankai, and Electronic Musical Education Society in Japan.

He is a teaching assistant at the Osaka University of Arts and Kobe Yamate College and an information engineer at the Osaka University of Arts.

Izukawa seeks the playing style of "Suizen," which is a way of Zen meditation for Myoan Taizan School shakuhachi, and the sound of Jinashi Shakuhachi called "Ne-aji (the Taste of Sound)."

In 2008, "Kurofune" was formed with American shakuhachi player Josh Smith. They promised to deliver the fascinating sound of Jinashi Shakuhachi and spread their music to the world. They have recently performed a fusion of shakuhachi and electro acoustic music at a pre-event for the "Nara Sentosai" and "Takefu International Music Festival," as well as undergone a national tour and performed before Ambassadors of over 35 countries in Nara city. Their activities are often followed by the media.

They have been active giving lectures in New York, Paris, and various spots throughout Asia, performing at many museums and music festivals both in Japan and overseas. They released their first album "Kurofune" in May 2009, and it was highly reviewed in many places.

Izukawa studies the Myoan Taizan School shakuhachi under Simura Zenpo and Ikuta School Koto under Shimura Chieko. He has undergone professional western music education since he was a child, and he is versatile having been a member of a rock band to being a singer-song writer. He has established his own creative policy just as he sought for the unique spirit within Japanese traditional music. He has worked on sound producing which crosses genres. He has put his effort in the development of electro acoustic music, and he is attracted to "Acousmatic -Music."

He took the first place in the CCMC Composition Contest in 2008, and he also won the ACSM116 Award and FUTURA Incentive Award at the same time. He won the best presentation award at the 81th meeting of IPSJ-SIGMUS. He joined the MOTUS (France) Composition Atelier 06. His pieces are sponsored in many international music festivals and performed in FUTURA (France), Silence (Italy), and aired on the FM radio RSF (France). He studied composition from UEHARA Kazuo, Acousmatic-Music from DUFOUR Denis, and HIGAKI Tomonari.

Together, Josh and Hide are striving to both keep tradition alive and add their own original elements to their music. Kurofune is an expression of modern and tradition, giving the listener a chance to explore their own imagination.

Josh's Solo Album MAHOROBA
Go to Japanese Music
Shakuhachi
To Learn more about Josh Smith visit his PROFILE here