Takuji Tamura was born in Yokohama, Japan in 1974. He first started playing fiddle when he was 19.
At the age of 18, he left Japan and travelled to Sheffield, England where he first heard Irish traditional music - in Fagan's bar, Broad Lane. Fagan's was a popular venue for Irish music at that time and Takuji started to regularly go to sessions to listen to talented local fiddle players such as Patrick Walker and Nick Farrelly. His interest in Irish music grew. After hearing “Julia Delaney” played by Tommy Peoples (on the Bothy Band's first album) he made up his mind to purchase his first fiddle. This was a life changing experience for him.
At the beginning he taught himself to play fiddle by listening to some Irish music recordings and learning about the basics of the instrument from a young man called Coleman Furey. Three months after buying his first fiddle, he went to a session and was able to play a number of tunes, to the surprise of the locals at Fagan's.
Nick Farrelly - an experienced fiddle player and renowned teacher in Yorkshire - saw potential in Takuji and became his fiddle tutor and mentor. He steadily progressed and it became obvious that Sheffield was not the place for him to develop further. As Nick Farrelly said - 'if you really want to learn the art of Irish music, don't stay here go to Ireland'.
In April 1995 he arrived in Galway and immersed himself in music. He became fascinated by the music of Co. Sligo, East Galway and Co. Clare and has studied the styles of these areas - by observing and listening to many fine fiddle players and of course with many hours of practise!
He lived in Galway until 2004 and regularly played with the local musicians there. During that time, he recorded an album called "For the same reason" with a Danish accordion player - Anders Trabjerg. The album was first launched at the Willie Clancy Summer School in Miltown Malbay and then at the Crane Bar in Galway.
He returned to Japan in the winter of 2004 and was soon introduced to the Irish music scene around the Tokyo area. He was surprised to see a huge demand for fiddle lessons so in May 2005 he established a fiddle school called "Tokyo School of Traditional Irish Fiddle Music" and it currently has 80 students enrolled.
In 2005 Takuji invited a friend and a great piper from Galway - Cormac Cannon to do a short tour around Japan.
In the summer of 2007, Takuji recorded a first solo album entitled "Strange but True..." with Yukio Kashiwagi on the guitar, bouzouki, mandolin & fiddle. The album is due to be released on 6th Oct.
keep an eye out for me little brother stephen.he doing some gigs in tokyo with a band called grada.over the next few days.hope things are going good with ya.
Hi Tak. Long time no hear. Hope all is well with you. Still playing teaching and making fiddles here in Galway. Doing a fiddle making exhibition and talk at Feile Oriel in Monaghan in May. check out http://www.feileoriel.com Hope to see you soon. Keep in touch.
hi there! hows all in japan!just after moving back to roscommon for the next 3 months or so. had to come home to help out on the farm. I'll still be up and down to galway but will have to be home EVERY NIGHT, but its all good. hope to keep in contact with everyone through the net.(it'll make me use it more) hope to drop a line to everyone I know around the world every now and again. chat you later. Barry
Hi Takuji, thanks for adding me! it..s a pleasure to meet you!! great Irish music from Japan!! I like very much all your tunes, I enjoying to listening everyone, you..re an amazing fiddler with a fine style!! Your biography is very interesting... Well done for all your musicals works and good luck with every musical project...keep at it and keep in touch!!
Hi Tak. Hope all is well with you there. Long time no hear! Is it summer in Japan? Probably not? Its not really summer here either! Rain and more rain! I thought you'd like to check out You Tube video 'Paul Bradley Reels' of my gig at The Festival of American Fiddle Tunes 2008 both videos are on my blog here on Myspace. Keep in touch. Regards to Aoife.
About a month ago I found time to listen to your CD, and just wanted to thank you for sending it, it's excellent. You nearly succeeded in converting me to polkas (I can now enjoy listening to them but still not playing them) All the best Dan
Hi Tak hope all is well with you. You coming to Ireland this summer? I'm playing and teaching at a big Fiddle Festival in USA this summer called The Festival of American fiddle Tunes, sounds interesting! Kevin Burke and Liz Carroll did it in previous years. I'll then be straight back teaching at the Willie Clancy week - among other teaching and festival stuff - Looks like a busy summer! Keep in touch anyway! Hope to see you soon.
