Get to know Taku Hirano
Taku Hirano is one of the most in-demand percussionists of his generation — a musical chameleon onstage and in-studio, whether supporting iconic artists or fronting his own projects. He's worked with everyone from Stevie Nicks to Stevie Wonder, Dr. Dre to Dr. John, and is referred to by rock legend Mick Fleetwood as his “Secret Weapon” and “not only a master percussionist but an incredible musician.”
Born in Osaka, Japan, and raised in California and Hong Kong, Taku began his musical journey at age seven with classical piano, classical percussion, and a drum set at age nine. He later added Afro-Cuban and Brazilian hand percussion as a teen.
He was the first hand percussion principal at Berklee College of Music, 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 in Boston, studied 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 for a month at the Escuelas Nacionales de Arte (ENA) and at the home of Afro-Cuban percussion pioneer Changuito.
Taku began his career in Los Angeles, working with jazz multi-reedist Bennie Maupin of The Headhunters alongside Patrice Rushen and his mentor, drummer Ndugu Chancler. Within his first five years on the LA scene, Taku became one of the top-call percussionists in hip hop on both coasts. He performed live with Sean “Diddy” Combs and his Bad Boy Entertainment artists Faith Evans, Lil’ Kim, and Mary J. Blige, and for Aftermath Entertainment as Dr. Dre’s go-to 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-Z’s The Blueprint 2 album).
In addition to countless world tours and hit recording credits, Taku has backed some of the most successful singers and songwriters in the business across multiple genres including Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Whitney Houston, John Mayer, Ed Sheeran, Annie Lennox, LeAnn Rimes, Babyface, Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, Emily King, Alison Krauss, Jason Mraz, and Lisa Loeb.
In 2020, he signed to Ropeadope Records under the Modern Icon Recordings imprint to showcase his return to jazz. His first single, “Come And Get It,” featuring trumpet phenom Keyon Harrold was released in July 2021 and promoted nightly on Late Night With Seth Meyers (NBC) during Taku's weeklong guest stint in the house band.
Taku will release his debut live album Blu York in October 2021.
Instagram: takuhirano
Twitter: @TakuHirano
