Taku Hirano on tour with LeAnn Rimes
Taku Hirano is one of the most in-demand percussionists of his generation â a musical chameleon onstage and in-studio, whether supporting iconic artists or fronting his own projects. He has worked with everyone from Stevie Nicks to Stevie Wonder, Dr. Dre to Dr. John, and referred to by Mick Fleetwood - founder and drummer of Fleetwood Mac - as his âSecret Weaponâ and ânot only a master percussionist, but an incredible musician,â and rock queen Stevie Nicks has proclaimed nightly on her solo tours that Taku is "the best percussion player, I think, in the world."
Born in Osaka, Japan and raised in California and Hong Kong, Taku began his musical journey at age 7 with Classical piano, transitioned to marimba, Classical concert percussion and drum set at age 9, and then added Afro-Cuban and Brazilian hand percussion as a teen.
Taku is a Master of Arts graduate in music business and Bachelor of Music graduate in professional music (performance and music business studies) - cum laude - both from Berklee College of Music. As an undergrad, he was the institutionâs first graduating Hand Percussion principal, where he studied Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, South Indian, Middle Eastern and West African percussion, and was under the tutelage of conga master Giovanni Hidalgo for four years. He also studied with jazz drumming legend Alan Dawson, West African and North Indian musical traditions with master percussionists at California Institute of the Arts, and conducted a research trip to Havana through the U.S. Treasury Department, studying at the Escuelas Nacionales de Arte (ENA) and at the home of Afro-Cuban percussion pioneer Changuito for a month.
Taku began his career in Los Angeles, working with jazz multi-reedist Bennie Maupin of Herbie Hancock's Headhunters alongside keyboardist Patrice Rushen and his mentor, renowned session drummer Ndugu Chancler. Within his first 5 years on the L.A. scene, Taku became one of the top-call percussionists in hip hop on both coasts, performing live with Sean âDiddyâ Combs and his NYC-based Bad Boy Entertainment artist roster, including Faith Evans, Lilâ Kim, 112 and Mary J. Blige, and for Aftermath Entertainment as Dr. Dreâs go-to L.A. studio percussionist on tracks for Nas, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, and for Dre himself on his seminal album 2001 (with samples of Taku from 2001 later used by Dre in producing Jay-Zâs The Blueprint 2 album).Â
Takuâs client list has spanned the pinnacles of practically every commercial music genre. He has toured the world with Fleetwood Mac, Whitney Houston, John Mayer, Bette Midler, Stevie Nicks, Lionel Richie, Isaac Hayes, Josh Groban, Dr. John, as a soloist on Indian and Japanese percussion for Oscar-winning Bollywood composer A.R. Rahmanâs Slumdog Millionaire âJai Hoâ world tour, as a featured soloist on the #8 top-grossing music tour of all time, âMichael Jackson: THE IMMORTAL World Tourâ by Cirque du Soleil and the Michael Jackson Estate, and as a consultant to Trent Reznor for the Nine Inch Nails âLights In The Skyâ world tour. He has performed in major arenas and stadiums in 30 countries across five continents, in Russia as a member of the United Nations/UNESCO International Jazz Day All-Star Band under the direction of Herbie Hancock, twice in South Africa for President Nelson Mandela, and twice at the White House for President Barack Obama (including the Obama Administration's first State Dinner, honoring the Prime Minister of India).Â
Takuâs performance credits also include Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, BeyoncĂ©, Lady Gaga, Annie Lennox, Steven Tyler, Miley Cyrus, Shakira, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson, Ed Sheeran, George Clinton, Smokey Robinson, Willie Nelson, Sammy Hagar, Patti LaBelle, Melissa Etheridge, John Legend, Garth Brooks, Sheryl Crow, Peter Frampton, Andrea Bocelli, Yolanda Adams, Blue Man Group, and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Takuâs recording credits include Fleetwood Mac, Whitney Houston, Stevie Nicks, Ziggy Marley, LeAnn Rimes, Josh Groban, Nelly Furtado, and Lionel Richie, in addition to numerous film scores and soundtracks, television show soundtracks and cues, and national commercials.
As a recording artist and producer, Taku was featured on the 63rd annual GRAMMY Awards (2021) âMusic Requires Listeningâ speech by Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason, Jr., in national campaigns for Guitar Center, and included in ORIGIN. Magazine's list of Top 100 Creatives. His debut album for Ropeadope Records released in 2021, featuring guest artist, trumpet phenom Keyon Harrold. His compositions have been featured on The CW Network shows and promos, and signature sound libraries for Splice and Big Fish Audio.
Taku recently performed live on the 65th annual GRAMMY Awards telecast (2023) with music legends Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and Chris Stapleton. He is also currently on tour playing drums and percussion with country pop icon LeAnn Rimes for her "the story... so far"  tour.Â
***Â See dates below!
Taku Hirano on tour with LeAnn Rimes
Taku Hirano on tour with LeAnn Rimes
Taku HIrano on tour with LeAnn Rimes
FairWell Festival 2024, Deschutes County Fairgrounds, 3800 SW Airport Way , Redmond, OR.
Taku Hirano on tour with LeAnn Rimes
Taku Hirano on tour with LeAnn Rimes