Relaxing Music Highlight: Zen Garden by Kokin Gumi
Let the relaxing music by the now-defunct group recreates the peaceful Zen garden in your heart
Music is like food for the soul. It calms and nourishes the spirit with notes that seem to reach our consciousness effortlessly. You know I’m talking about relaxing music like Lotus.
This time, I’m glad to introduce you another great album called Zen Garden by the now-defunct group, Kokin Gumi (古今组).
There are altogether twelve tracks in the album created by a combination of Japanese traditional instruments, piano and other modern instruments.
Listening to the pieces, you will feel as if you’re in a meticulously crafted Zen garden smacked in the middle of an ancient temple. The relaxing mood created by the beautiful melodies are excellent for meditation, yoga, massage and relaxation.
You can listen to two serene pieces from the album, Daylight and Snow, from the Youtube videos below.
You can preview the rest of the album from Amazon.com.
About Kokin Gumi
Kokin Gumi was formed in 1993 and made up of three members: Masakazu Yoshizawa, Hiromi Hashibe (the only female) and Tateo Takahashi. The group was well-known for performing traditional, contemporary as well as original compositions using a mixture of traditional (like shakuhachi, shinobue, hichiriki, bamboo flutes, kotsuzumi, koto, bass koto and shamisen) and modern instruments.
According to their website, Kokin Gumi have appeared on various projects in Japan, as well as Anchorage, Alaska and Phoenix, AZ. They have also played in a number of concerts and events in the US, such as the Nisei Week Festival and in the World of Tsuzumi.
All three members have lent their musical talent to several movie soundtrack production. For instance, band leader, Masakazu Yoshizawa, had performed in the soundtracks for Memoirs of a Geisha, Jurassic Park, and The Joy Luck Club.
Unfortunately, in 2006, the group’s shamisen player, Tateo Takahashi, died of cancer at the age of 62. Masakazu Yoshizawa also died of cancer one year later. He was 57.
I love listening to this type of music all day long! It keeps me so grounded and calm! Thanks for sharing!
Glad that you like it, Kjirsten! Stay tuned for more as I highlight more excellent relaxing music in the future.