Steve Eto

My philosophy is that I like living in a natural way. For instance, I do not like to fight or have a dispute with anyone. I feel that we are exaggerating the concept of fight or battle. I do not even like watching or doing sports. I do not place a load on myself. I like to live my life at my own pace, naturally. This is exactly how I live my life naturally. However, the music I play I cannot compose without a computer. The music instrument I use, rather than ethnic and traditional tribal ones, are oil drums to put electric elements in my music. It’s not really natural, the sounds I use. But the way I live my life, I like to live naturally.

My father, Haruo Minami, was a musician famous to the Japanese people. He played the Japanese koto, a harp. He went to the United States and stayed there for 10 years. That was when I was born. I grew up watching my father on the stage. I feel that watching him play music influenced me the most. I would say that was my start line.

The first time I picked up a drum, I figured that it would be difficult to go down the same path as my father did. I have seen how wonderful my father was as a performer and knew it would be difficult to be like him. I had no intention to be a musician. But when I thought of being a musician, it seemed to be easy to play the drums. And when I played, it suited me very well.

Actually, I worked with my father in the past on recordings and helping on the stage. His famous line was, “The audience is a superior being.” It means that you gain energy from the audience when you stand on the stage and face them, even when you are not 100 percent fit to perform. I agree with his words completely. Many times when I was not fit to perform at all—magically—I could perform the best ever in front of the audience. For that meaning, even now, when I am asked what my best experience was when working with someone, I always mention Mr. Minami’s name. 

I said that I am not a religious person. I like the way of thinking in Shinto belief. Shinto believes gods exist in everything—and it’s said as ‘Yaoyorozu no Kami’—or ‘eight million gods;

too many to count.’ Gods exist in every object on this Earth, like rocks, trees, mountains, and ocean. The fundamental belief is that we act humble and be thankful for everything that exists around us.

I know that during World War II, people had a wrong interpretation of that belief. There is a persistent issue surrounding the Yasukuni shrine to this day. But the fundamental belief has never changed in Shinto. I think this belief is a modern and ecological way of living. To live as a part of nature? I genuinely agree. I love this belief and concept in Shinto. I am not a religious person, but I visit the shrines.

I say that we all should live well and be positive as human beings. There are negativities like wars and conflicts out there in the world. Maybe that is something we cannot control; some things human nature cannot avoid. I cannot say that wars and conflicts are simply wrong. Each of us should try to lead a better life and be kind and thoughtful to the person next to you.