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-Review by Marie Friend-
On the 19th of November 1993 my wife and I were invited to attend an
extraordinary musical performance. The music enraptured our senses with
its beauty and simplicity as well as uplifting our mind and spirit. Tadamitsu
Saito, a Japanese pianist had chosen Portland, Oregon for his U.S. debut
to promote individual healing, environmental awareness and global harmony.
Portland was specially chosen by Saito because of its beautiful natural
setting and its reputation for environmental consciousness and activism.
The concert was a benefit for the Audubon Society of Portland and the
Earth and Spirit Council.
Saito (who did not play the piano until age 36) and his music approached
the reverently gathered audience like a gentle, soothing summer breeze;
fully understand Saito's improvisational style and to feel the meditative,
centering waves of sound and silence. Mr. Saito 'knows' how to create
a space beyond time where the audience is invited to recover form the
agony of the dualistic world approach. This is the great benefit Saito's
music has to offer; it draws the attention of the listener always to his
own resources of peaceful energies. To give you an impression of the potency
of his creation is bearing, I have to tell you that my wife and I, were
amazed at how fast the time passed by during the first hour and twenty
minutes. The concert itself was titled "S.T.4 The Bridge" and is symbolic
of the bridge Mr. Saito hopes to create through his music - a bridge that
will span the spiritual chasm between peoples and cultures, between humanity
and the natural environment. In 1985, Mr. Saito played his first piano
improvisation concert in Japan. Since then he has performed over 100 concerts
in this native country to growing audiences, and has released several
recordings.
We were granted a private interview in which we were given the pleasing
opportunity to find out how perfectly the artist reflects himself in his
creation. When Mr. Saito was asked to summarize the essence of his work
he told us he is dedicated to bring balance, healing, and harmony to the
children of the world, because they represent the future of mankind. Mr.
Saito is trying to offer solutions to human problems on a global scale,
and the healing vibrations of his music as well as the love and compassion
which radiate from him are keys for ourselves to access the divine energy
we are surrounded with. Not surprisingly my wife and I noticed vivid activeness
of our chakras during the concert besides a light feeling inside of our
bodies in general.
While we were talking with Mr. Saito we both realized that he is a man
of great love and compassion and that he has a modesty and radiance about
him that carries the same signatures as his music. His quest is to find
answers to the problems of health and spiritual disharmony. Consequently
the concert's name was, "S.T.4 The Bridge" where by the S.T. stands for
Saito Tadamitsu as well as Sensitivity Training.
Mr. Saito was accompanied by the violinist Mr. Darol Anger and the guitarist
Mr. Teja Bell who moved in and out of the performance representing the
western counterpart of his unique concert. "A Perfect Match," (by Access
Music) his latest release, is a spirited blend of Classical, New Age,
Jazz, and World Music elements.
Although Mr. Saito's music can be considered as New Age or meditative
music it goes far beyond those colloquial terms. His music in its effectiveness
on the tranquillity of mind, is a strong medium yet its applicability
to the need of the masses is higher than for example the sacred sound
of "OM." Saito's music represents a bridge between the cultures as well
as a bridge between the diversity of the world we live in and the unity
we carry inside our spirits. World peace starts inside of us and Tadamitsu
Saito's music is a valuable contribution to his goal. Mr. Saito, we wish
you success.
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