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>> HIROMITSU, FIRST OF ALL,
THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING ONTO THE
SHOW.
THIS IS YOUR NATIONAL DEBUT IN
THE U.S. ON TELEVISION, BUT I
UNDERSTAND IN JAPAN YOU'RE QUITE
COMFORTABLE WITH BEING IN FRONT
OF THE CAMERA.
CAN YOU GIVE US AN IDEA OF YOUR
CELEBRITY IN JAPAN?
[ SPEAKING JAPANESE ]
>> Translator: AS A SHAMISEN
PLAYER, I'VE MADE MANY
APPEARANCES ON TELEVISION SHOWS,
ESPECIALLY MUSIC SHOWS.
PEOPLE DO STOP ME ON THE STREET
AND SAY, "OH, YEAH, YOU'RE THE
GUY WHO PLAYS SHAMISEN."
>> SO WE'VE GOT A BIG CELEBRITY
HERE.
>> Translator: MY PLEASURE.
>> FOR MANY NORTH AMERICAN
AUDIENCES, I'M SURE THEY'VE
NEVER SEEN THE INSTRUMENT THAT
YOU'RE HOLDING, THE
TSUGARU-SHAMISEN.
CAN YOU TELL US HOW YOU FIRST
GOT INTRODUCED TO THE
INSTRUMENT?
BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND IT'S
TRADITIONALLY FOR OLDER PEOPLE
IN JAPAN, BUT YOU STARTED
PLAYING AT THE AGE OF 6.
>> Translator: MY FATHER'S HOBBY
WAS PLAYING THE SHAMISEN, AND I
WAS QUITE TAKEN BY THE SOUND OF
IT AS AN INSTRUMENT AND BECAME
INTERESTED.
>> WHAT IS THE HISTORY BEHIND
THE INSTRUMENT?
>> Translator: IT TRACES ITS
LINEAGE BACK TO CHINA, WHERE IT
MADE ITS WAY TO JAPAN IN THE
16th CENTURY, SETTLED INTO
OKINAWA AS AN INSTRUMENT CALLED
THE SANSHIN AND MADE ITS WAY TO
JAPAN, AND ITS NAME AS A
SHAMISEN.
>> NOW, WHEN YOU FIRST TOOK IT
UP, THOUGH, YOU MOVED TO TOKYO,
AND YOU MADE THE CONSCIOUS
DECISION NOT TO BE CLASSICALLY
TRAINED, BUT TO TEACH YOURSELF.
WHAT WERE THE BENEFITS TO YOU TO
GO THAT ROUTE?
>> Translator: ACTUALLY, I HAD A
TEACHER FROM AGE 6 TO 15, AND
THEN AFTER 15, I BECAME
SELF-TAUGHT AND STARTED
PARTICIPATING IN ROCK BANDS AND
PLAYING JAZZ, AS WELL.
>> AND THAT WAS OBVIOUSLY
SOMETHING THAT YOU WANTED TO DO
WAS TO FUSE TRADITIONAL SOUNDS
WITH MORE CONTEMPORARY SOUNDS.
WHY WAS THAT?
>> Translator: WELL, ACTUALLY,
THE MORE TRADITIONAL FOLK SONGS
THAT I SING WERE BACK THEN THEIR
MOST POPULAR SONGS.
SO I DON'T SEE ANY CONTRADICTION
BETWEEN TRYING TO FUSE IT WITH A
MORE CONTEMPORARY SOUND TO MAKE
THEM POPULAR SONGS NOW THAT
YOUNG PEOPLE TODAY CAN
APPRECIATE.
>> DID YOU ENCOUNTER ANY
RESISTANCE, THOUGH, AT THE
BEGINNING WHEN YOU WERE TRYING
TO SORT OF TAKE IT TO A NEW
LEVEL?
>> Translator: YES, THERE WERE
TRADITIONALISTS WHO DENIED THAT
THE MUSIC I WAS PLAYING WAS
ACTUALLY TSUGARU-SHAMISEN.
BUT I BELIEVE THAT MUSICAL
EXPRESSION SHOULD BE FREE, AND I
DECIDED TO TRUST MY HEART AND TO
GO WITH WHAT I FELT WAS EXCITING
AND FUN, AND NOW SOME OF THOSE
TRADITIONALISTS ARE ON MY SIDE.
>> AND OF COURSE, THERE'S NO
BETTER REVENGE THAN SUCCESS.
WHAT DID IT FEEL LIKE FOR YOU TO
WIN ALL OF THESE COMPETITIONS IN
JAPAN, DESPITE THE FACT THAT YOU
HAD SOME NAYSAYERS?
>> Translator: FOR ME, THE
AWARDS ARE REALLY JUST MILE
MARKERS ON A LONGER ROAD.
PEOPLE CAN WIN AWARDS, BUT THAT
MAY NOT NECESSARILY MEAN THAT
THEY CAN THRILL AUDIENCES LIVE
ON STAGE, AND THAT'S MUCH MORE
IMPORTANT TO ME TO TAKE THE
SHAMISEN WORLDWIDE.
>> AND THAT YOU HAVE DONE.
YOU'VE DONE A LOT OF TRAVELING
IN SOUTH AMERICA, NORTH AMERICA.
I WONDER HOW BEING INTRODUCED TO
FOREIGN CULTURES HAS INFLUENCED
YOUR MUSIC.
>> Translator: BEING ABLE TO JAM
WITH MUSICIANS FROM DIFFERENT
COUNTRIES REALLY DOES OPEN UP
THE SHAMISEN, MY OWN MUSIC, AND
I LOOK FORWARD TO JAMMING WITH
MUSICIANS ALL OVER THE WORLD.
AND REALLY, IT DOES BRING HOME
HOW, THROUGH MUSIC, THERE ARE NO
BORDERS, THERE ARE NO
BOUNDARIES, AND I REALLY LOOK
FORWARD TO COMMUNICATING WITH
PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD THROUGH
MY MUSIC.
>> IS THERE ONE PLACE IN
PARTICULAR THAT YOU CAN REMEMBER
HAVING A REALLY GOOD MOMENT WITH
SOME FOREIGN MUSICIANS?
[ SPEAKING JAPANESE ]
>> HERBIE HANCOCK?
YEAH?
>> Translator: HERBIE HANCOCK.
IN TOKYO, HE ASKED ME TO PLAY
WITH HIM.
THE ONE THING THAT WAS
UNFORTUNATE IS THAT I LOOKED SO
YOUNG THAT HE KEPT CALLING ME
"SHAMISEN BOY."
>> OH, REALLY?
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
COMING ON THE SHOW.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU STOPPING
BY.
MY GUEST WAS HIROMITSU AGATSUMA,
AND HIS LATEST ALBUM IS CALLED
"ETERNAL SONGS."
AND ONCE AGAIN, HERE HE IS ON
"BREAKFAST WITH THE ARTS."
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