If you caught Sony’s E3 2018 showcase, there’s no doubt you were captivated by several of the amazing performances that preceded each of the game reveals. A banjo player opened The Last of Us Part II’s debut trailer, and a performance by Cornelius Boots on the shakuhachi ahead of Ghost of Tsushima shook us to our core.
The shakuhachi is a traditional Japanese flute made out of bamboo, tuned to the minor pentatonic scale. Boots is an acclaimed composer and shakuhachi master, who began studying music at the age of 9. He’s an acclaimed shakuhachi master and obtained his master teaching license from Grand Master Michael Chikuzen Gould five years ago, having recorded five albums with the instrument over the span of his career. He’s played the instrument alongside Atsuda Okuda, widely considered to be one of the greatest shakuhachi players in the world.
The performance set the tone for Ghost of Tsushima, and Boots showcased his talent well ahead of the game reveal. You can check out the performance above in its entirety, and see Boots with Okuda himself below.
Did you happen to see the performance when it was live or did you attend the PlayStation showcase? Let us know!
Source: Shacknews The Ghost of Tsushima E3 Presentation's Opener Featured A Shakuhachi Performance