HONG KONG: In the contemporary mind, the mention of the Silk Road stirs images of voyages by lone travelers and by bustling caravans in ancient times. The trade routes are gone now but the spirits of those routes live on, reanimated in the vibrant creations of artists.

Grammy-winning, internationally renowned Japanese composer Kitaro will lead the Hong Kong audience through his musical journey, Silk Road East and West, at Sha Tin Town Hall tonight and tomorrow night.

Kitaro's connection with the Silk Road was first established 30 years ago, when he was invited by a Hong Kong TV channel to produce the soundtrack for a program about the trade routes.

Kitaro composed the scores based on films and other visual materials he had seen about the Silk Road. It was not until 1981 that he had a chance to see the vast historical and cultural landscapes in person.

"I was utterly astonished," Kitaro recalled. "With its long and rich history, the Silk Road not only stands for trade and exchanges between different empires in ancient times, but also memories of culture and human connections."

With his concert, Kitaro hopes to bring a new and emotive re-interpretation of the Silk Road to music lovers in Hong Kong. "Music transcends time and space; it's magic that re-creates a bygone world," he said.

In recent years, Kitaro has had collaboration with a number of mainland artists including director Zhang Yimou. Kiatro composed the musical for West Lake Impression, a large-scale opera Zhang directed in 2007.

The collaboration was both fruitful and challenging for Kitaro. Since the majority of the dancers were local Chinese who did not speak English, it took time and effort for Kitaro to get his ideas across.

"It wasn't easy to make them understand how I wanted them to follow the music," Kitaro recounted. "I was very honored to be invited to take part in this project. I'd seen many of Zhang's famous movies and they're great art."

In the near future, Kitaro hopes to spend more time in Hong Kong, to explore the city's culture and the creative inspiration it has to offer. Hong Kong has a unique energy that is diverse as well as concentrated, he said.

"Everything is so condensed here, though there're many diverse dynamics to its culture at work. It's truly the place where the East meets the West," he concluded. "It's a special place to which few other cities can compare."

(HK Edition 10/13/2009 page1)