Hado ( 波動 )is Japanese for vibration.
Creative expression through percussion came naturally to Aki-Ra as
a teenager and he began playing in 1990. Ten years later he travelled
to Europe and Africa where his style became influenced further and
he began street performance. He soon began meeting and
collaborating with musicians, dancers and performance artists all
over the world, fusing his musical performances with his own
original style of butoh dance, live trance, and sound healing. By
2015, Aki-Ra had performed in over 20 countries.
Inspired by Dr. Masaru Emoto’s book Water Knows the Answer,
Aki-Ra began working with water as a musical instrument. In 2007
he created the Hadourum as a means to express the sound vibration
of water as a form of music. Since 2008, he has been performing
with them throughout Japan and the world, using aurally and
physically tangible sound vibration as a modus operandi for creative
expression.
Hadourums are a unique fusion of African water drum and
Carribbean steelpan drum, made of various sizes and materials
including steel, glass, and plastic. They are completely original,
made exclusively and played professionally only by Aki-Ra.
As well as expressing and presenting the effects of sonic vibration
through playing hadouram, Aki-Ra also plays numerous percussion
instruments, didgeridoos and flutes. He does cross-media solo
performances as well as collaborative projects with various
multi-media musicians, artists and performers, including live
painting, movie soundtracks, choreographed dance, and creation of
water pictures.
Aki-Ra believes that music is a communication tool that operates
beyond language.