Shakuhachi Concert with Toji Kaido Perlman and Yodo Kurahashi II

Kurahashi Yodo II of Kyoto, Japan and Toji Kaido Perlman of Portland, Maine will present an evening that will take the listeners on a journey through Japan’s rich traditions of Shakuhachi flute music.

Shakuhachi is a traditional Japanese end-blown bamboo flute that has been played for over a millenia. It is believed to have been brought to Japan from China in the 7th century. Wandering monks, ronin, musicians, and common folk all shaped and passed down this rich musical tradition. Both primitive and refined; practicing Shakuhachi can become a lifelong journey flowering into peace, self realization and mastery of breath.

It can also be the analogue antidote to digital oversaturation reminding us to simply breathe and listen.

Yodo and Toji Kaido will be playing pieces handed to them from a long line of Shakuhachi masters, focusing on Honkyoku solo music that carries along the spiritual and musical tradition of the wandering Komoso (straw hat monks of the 13th Century) and Komuso of the 17th and 18th centuries. These “monks of nothingness” used the shakuhachi as a religious tool as they wandered the country seeking alms and spiritual transformation. Each piece has its own story that reflects how music has shaped and been shaped by the unique cultures from the different regions of Japan.

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