Alcvin returned to Japan in 1998 to deepen his studies and in 2001, he received his Shihan (master) license from one of greatest shakuhachi masters, Katsuya Yokoyama. In November of 2008, Alcvin received his Dai Shihan (grand master) license from another one of Japan’s greatest players and teachers, Yoshinobu Taniguchi, taking the new name, “Ryuzen” (Dragon Meditation) making him the first Canadian and one of only a handful of non-Japanese to receive this esteemed honor.
Today Ramos lives in Canada, where he is the director of the Bamboo-In, a shakuhachi retreat centre. Every November, Ramos takes his students to Japan where they harvest bamboo for making shakuhachi and visit sacred places around the country in order to deepen their experience of the instrument.
Alcvin maintains an active schedule of shakuhachi teaching and performances internationally. The shakuhachi has evolved from a thin piece of bamboo to highly refined instruments of great aesthetic beauty and sonic strength with plaster/lacquered bores to large, raw bored, long flutes that are very dramatic, complex, and earthy in tone.
Alcvin is a master Shakuhachi player and the flute’s delicate dulcet sounds create the perfect atmosphere for any Japanese themed event.
