Masayoshi Takanaka
Masayoshi Takanaka | |
|---|---|
 Takanaka around 1979. | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Tokyo, Japan |
| Genres |
|
| Years active | 1970–Present |
| Labels |
|
| Website | takanaka |
Masayoshi Takanaka (Japanese: 高中正義, Hepburn: Takanaka Masayoshi; born March 27, 1953) is a Japanese guitarist, composer, and producer. Takanaka made his career debut playing progressive rock at various Japanese rock festivals throughout the early 70s, before composing varius jazz/funk pieces and branching off into a solo career. He has worked with many other Japanese fusion musicians such as Jun Fukamachi, Rei Ohara, Nobu Saito, Shuichi "Ponta" Murakami, Naoya Matsuoka, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Kazumi Watanabe.
Takanaka has released 57 albums and 25 video releases.[1] He has gained significant notoriety in recent years, primarily due to his 1979 compilation album, "All of Me".
Early Life
Takanaka was born as Masayoshi Liu on March 27, 1953 in Akabane, Kita Ward, Tokyo, to a Chinese father (surname Liu) from Nanjing and a Japanese mother (surname Takanaka). His parents met (and married) in Japan, when Mr. Liu emigrated there after World War II. Soon after Masayoshi’s birth, the family moved to Ōimachi in Shinagawa Ward, where they ran a mahjong parlor called Sangenkaku in the local shopping district.
When he was in the fourth grade, Masayoshi was naturalized as a Japanese citizen, changing his name from Masayoshi Liu (劉 正義) to Masayoshi Takanaka (高中 正義).[2]
Growing up, he attended the private Ono Gakuen elementary school. Takanaka's interest in music started in 1964, aged 11, when his older brother of 3 years took him to see the Beatles film "A Hard Day's Night". This sparked his interest in guitar, and together they bought a Teisco branded guitar. Throughout his childhood, he enjoyed listening to The Beatles and The Ventures, also playing guitar with his brother. In his teens, he moved on to Led Zeppelin, Cream, and Eric Clapton. He liked these groups, however he cites one of his biggest influences as guitarist Alvin Lee from the band Ten Years After.
4 years later, in 1968, he began attending Musashi Institute of Technology High School, where he always ranked at the top of his class despite spending much of his free time practising guitar. During his time there, he became a classmate with the older brother of Satoshi Takebe, who would later play keyboards in Takanaka's 1997 album "Rainbow Legend II The White Goblin". He had initially applied to Hibiya High School with the aim of entering the University of Tokyo, but was instead accepted into Kudan High School due to the school group system at the time. He wasn't happy with this, instead sticking with his first option of the Musashi Institute.
Around this time, he worked a part time job at Nippon Express, however it was so tough he quit after one day. This was his only job he held outside of being a musician.
Beginning of Music Career (Progressive Rock)
At age 16, Takanaka experienced his very first time playing music on stage. This happened at a 1969[citation neeeded] concert for the band Apryl Fool, where the guitarist was too drunk to play. He shouted to the audience, "does anybody know how to play guitar?", and Takanaka stepped up to the stage.
While still 16 years old (in early 1970), Takanaka performed with cover bands for Jimmy Hendrix and Grand Funk Railroad, often playing at various US military bases. One of these bands was The Evil, who are recorded playing at the Pace Camp of Fuchu Air Base in Tokyo.[3] These are the oldest known recordings of Takanaka playing.
Later that year, Takanaka formed his own band named Escape, with students from other schools.
