May 13, 2018
A three-day concert tour by the Japanese recording artist Masanori Takahashi, better known as Kitaro, which was scheduled to take place in May in Iran, has been canceled.
“Six members of Mr. Kitaro’s music group are U.S. citizens. Unfortunately, these distinguished musicians won’t be able to obtain their visas in time to perform in the concert as previously planned. Ticket holders can get refunds by calling or emailing the sales office,” the event organizers said.
The concert organizers canceled the tour two days after President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. was withdrawing from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known as the Iran nuclear deal.
The cancellation of Kitaro’s concert seems to be one of the first consequences of the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA. It could also be that the tour organizers canceled the performance fearing that the Iranian authorities might detain the American members of the group.
Kitaro’s 2014 concert was warmly received in Iran.
Kitaro is known for his electronic-instrumental music and is regarded as one of the most prominent figures of New Age sound. He is the 2001 winner of the Grammy Award for Best New Age Album “Thinking of You.” In 1993, he received a Golden Globe Award for the “Heaven & Earth” original score. Kitaro has released 30 albums since 1975. His 1987 album “The light of the spirit” has sold over two million copies in the U.S. to date.
