page_title: Kitarō
section_title: 1984–1993
hierarchical_section_title: Kitarō / Solo career: 1977–present / 1984–1993
caption_attribution_description: English: Kitarō, Japanese musician, composer and multi-instrumentalist. 日本語: 喜多郎（きたろう）世界的なシンセサイザー奏者であり作曲家でもある。
context_page_description: Kitarō, born Masanori Takahashi, is a Japanese recording artist, composer, record producer, and arranger noted for his electronic-instrumental music, and is often associated with and regarded as one of the most prominent musical acts of new-age music. He is the winner of a Grammy Award for Best New Age Album and a Golden Globe Award for the Heaven & Earth original score.
context_section_description: In 1984, Kitaro embarked on a "Live in Asia" tour. Notably, he was forced to cancel a leg in Singapore because he had long hair and at that time the country had a policy banning it.
  He entered into a worldwide distribution arrangement with Geffen Records in 1985–1986. This included a re-releasing of six prior albums titled Ten Kai (aka Astral Voyage), Daichi (aka Full Moon Story), Millennia, India, Silver Cloud and Live in Asia (aka Asia) (each packaged with Japanesque obi strips) as well as a new album, aptly titled Towards the West. Due to his combination of electronic and acoustic sounds, mellow music and repeating chords which resembled the umbrella New-age music category in the United States and Europe, his music was labeled as "New-age". However, he's not comfortable with the term, but it doesn't mean much for him., "whether people say my music is new age or not, it's OK with me, I'm just going to keep calling it Kitaro's music". On his music he noted that his outlook on life, study of philosophy, and responsibility to create music which has a good influence on society, influence his musical creation.
  In 1987, he collaborated with Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead for the album The Light of the Spirit (which sold two million copies) and in 1992 with Jon Anderson (Yes) for the album Dream. In 1988, his record sales soared to 10 million worldwide following a successful US tour. He was nominated three times for Grammy Award for Best New Age Album during his tenure at Geffen Records. In 1990 was released studio album Kojiki, which was inspired by the Japense 8th century chronicle Kojiki, and it reached #159 on Billboard 200, and #1 on Billboard New Age albums chart. His soundtrack for the movie Heaven & Earth (1993) won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score. Kitaro also produced an album Scenes (1992) released by Shrapnel Records with former Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman.
caption: Kitaro playing live in the early 1990s
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