Miho Takekawa and Diego Coy come together to form the Miho and Diego Marimba Flute Duo and showcase an interesting mix of Latin and Japanese musical traditions. Going on their four years of performing together, the duo has performed at numerous platforms around the Northwest including the Benaroya Hall in downtown Seattle, various sites on the UW campus, and numerous radio stations, such as KUOW 94.9FM and KBCS 91.3FM. Born in Tokyo, Japan, Miho Takekawa grew up learning the piano and violin but eventually exchanged the traditional instruments for the vibrant sounds of the marimba drums. After one fateful encounter with a jazz professor at the UW, she instantly fell in love with the vivacity of the genre and soon began incorporating traditional Japanese music with a twist of jazz and Latin influence. She eventually met Diego Coy after following his work in the Northwest. Growing up in Santiago de Cali, Colombia, and traveling through Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru, Diego has an extensive background in the musical diversity of Latin America. He specializes in percussion instruments of the native Andean cultures and now has the ability to make his own instruments by hand. Both Miho and Diego stress the importance of preserving the true essence of music and despite the difficult times for musicians, still maintain their primary goal to encourage cultural understanding through the medium of music. For both of them, money was never the sole motivation to art, but rather an understanding of others and themselves.
“When we’re starting something, a lot of people advise you or tell you different things. I think when we are young, we try to take everything and try to digest so quickly and move on. I think I would say to take slow steps, don’t do anything too quickly because you will miss the small details.”
