Alcvin Ryuzen Ramos is a

shakuhachi A is a Japanese longitudinal, end-blown flute that is made of bamboo. The bamboo end-blown flute now known as the was developed in Japan in the 16th century and is called the .

teacher, performer, composer, and maker based in Canada. Born in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

, Ramos has also lived in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and now lives in Western

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. In 2003, he founded the Bamboo-In Shakuhachi Space on the Sunshine Coast. Ramos studied shakuhachi in Japan under several teachers, including

Kaoru Kakizakai is an internationally renowned performer and teacher of the ''shakuhachi'', a traditional vertical bamboo flute of Japan. Kakizakai studied under and recorded with Yokoyama Katsuya. He graduated from the NHK Traditional Music Conservatory and i ...

, Teruo Furuya,

Atsuya Okuda Atsuya Okuda (奥田敦也 ''Okuda Atsuya'') is a Japanese-born master player and teacher jinashi shakuhachi, an unrefined bamboo flute. Prior to dedicating his efforts to the bamboo flute, he was a professional jazz trumpet player from approxima ...

, Yoshinobu Taniguchi and more recently with Takashi Tokuyama. He received his ''

shihan is a Japanese term that is used in many Japanese martial arts as an honorific title for expert or senior instructors. It can be translated as "master instructor". The use of the term is specific to a school or organization, as is the process o ...

'' (master) license from Kaoru Kakizakai and

Katsuya Yokoyama was a Japanese musician who played the ''shakuhachi'', a traditional vertical bamboo flute. Early life He was born in Shizuoka Prefecture in 1934 and studied Kinko-ryu and Azuma styles of music with his father, Rampo Yokoyama, and grandfather, ...

. Ramos received an honorary Dai Shihan (grand master) title from Yoshinobu Taniguchi, taking the name, "Ryuzen" (Dragon Meditation) making him the first Canadian and one of only a handful of non-Japanese to receive this honor. He also cites

Watazumi Doso Roshi (November 20, 1911 - December 14, 1992) was a master of the end-blown Japanese bamboo flute. He studied Rinzai Zen, attaining the title of . Born as Tanaka Masaru, he was also known as Tanaka Fumon, Itcho Fumon, Watazumi Fumon, and Wataz ...

, teacher of Yokoyama, and his Dokyoku honkyoku repertoire as a strong influence. In addition to teaching, performing and composing, Ramos is a shakuhachi flute craftsman, specializing in the

hocchiku The , sometimes romanized as or , is a Japanese aerophone, an end-blown bamboo flute, crafted from root sections of bamboo. The bamboo root is cleaned and sanded, resulting in a surface patterned with many small, circular knots where the roots ...

variety of ''jinashikan'' (natural bore flutes, "without ji" or paste). Ramos is currently studying jiari shakuhachi construction with Miura Ryuho in Akita Prefecture. Ramos also plays ''

shinobue The ''shinobue'' (kanji: 篠笛; also called ''takebue'' (kanji: 竹笛) in the context of Japanese traditional arts) is a Japanese transverse flute or fue that has a high-pitched sound. Usage It is found in hayashi and nagauta ensemb ...

(a Japanese side-blown flute), Shinkin (''three-stringed fretted, Chinese lute), and '' Tsugaru Shamisen (''Japanese spiked

lute A lute ( or ) is any plucked string instrument with a neck (music), neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be either fretted or unfretted. More specifically, the term "lu ...

). He is the inventor of the ''Tenkan,'' a shakuhachi/didgeridoo hybrid flute. Ramos latest release (2021) is called "Kitsune" with Italian ambient music producer, jarguna (Marco Billi) on

Projekt Records Projekt Records is an independent record label established by Sam Rosenthal in 1983, the label focuses on darkwave, ambient, shoegaze, gothic rock, ethereal, dream-pop, and dark cabaret releases. History Projekt was founded in 1983 by Sam ...

. Ramos is married to the ceramic artist
Sandra Ramos

Discography

* "Japanese Traditional Koto and Shakuhachi Music". Satomi Saeki ( koto) & Alcvin Takegawa Ramos (shakuahchi). Oliver Sudden Productions Inc. 2005. * "Ontophony

Mearingstone, Uzume Taiko, Alcvin Takegawa Ramos, & Duncan Miller. 2006. * "Japanese Traditional Flute for Meditation; Zen Shakuhachi Vol.1 ". Alcvin Takegawa Ramos Oliver Sudden Productions Inc. 2007. * "Japanese Traditional Flute for Meditation; Zen Shakuhachi Vol.2". Alcvin Takegawa Ramos. Oliver Sudden Productions Inc. 2008. * "Japanese Bamboo Flute: Shakuhachi" Alcvin Ryuzen Ramos. Oliver Sudden Productions Inc. 2011. *"Kitsune" jarguna + Alcvin Ryuzen Ramos. Projekt Records Inc. 2021

External links

Alcvin's Biography

Alcvin's Website

Oliver Sudden Productions
Biography
from 2004 New York Shakuhachi Festival
Review and interview with Ramos
from Georgia Straight, August 11, 2005. Year of birth missing (living people) Japanese emigrants to Canada Canadian musicians of Japanese descent Living people Place of birth missing (living people) Shakuhachi players Musicians from British Columbia {{Canada-composer-stub