I can only guess that Jon Kypros has been asked the same questions so many times that he thought the best way of dealing with them during his performances was to nod in the direction of the brochures he’s prepared in advance. This is probably a wide call on his part, as — due to the nature of the music he plays — it can be quite some time between pieces, and it’s not entirely clear where one song ends and another begins. As a Komuso monk (described in the brochure as a “priest of nothingness”) playing a kind of music characterized by “no-sound” — not to mention doing so while wearing the “ego-suppressing” Tengai basket hat — it’s probably best to have a simple handout ready for the curious. And it may also be a handy business idea, as Kypros teaches and performs the shakuhachi professionally, and sells his own handmade flutes through his website. Here’s a brief video showing Kypros in action.
Featured image by Max Cooper. Subscribe to Busk Break on YouTube and “like” us on Facebook.
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.