We saw Yamato drummers and I should see more shows at Berklee

[drwex]

If you're not familiar with taiko drumming... um, this may not be your thing, but go search on YouTube or similar for some examples. Taiko generally means "drums" of any sort but as popularized outside Japan it refers to an ensemble style of drumming, particularly involving large drums (odaiko) and heavy, rapid, very athletic drumming styles. The Kodo ensemble is one of the main drivers of this style in the US, having done many tours, and some public stunts of which probably the most memorable was running the Boston Marathon and then, having finished, sat down and started drumming - continuing until the last runner had crossed the line. Taiko troupes train year-round and shows often last two hours with few breaks.

Yamato has a very different style from Kodo's serious, traditional, and composed shows. This show was called Jhonetsu (Passion). Sorry I have no idea what the kanji for that is - we only got the transliteration. The show used some traditional drumming and a lot of what we all identified as improv theater. Mime, exaggerated motion, and outright silly antics were intermixed with serious hardcore drumming and, frankly, just showing off. Like the bit where a couple of the performers held an odaiko aloft to be played... because they could. Most of the time they just used functional stands.

As a result the show was both passionate and fun. The performers clearly were having a good time and the audience caught it as well. The show brochure says the troupe has been performing for over 25 years but this is the first time I'd even heard of them and I'm glad we got to see them.

Finally, a word about Berklee, in whose performance hall this was staged. The hall is long and narrower than many traditional concert halls. We were pretty far back but the design of the hall is superb. The performers were not mic'ed and we could hear even the soft bits from the stage, as well as feeling the hall filled with the energy of all the drummers pounding away full speed.

Comments

[gale_storm]

Huh. Don’t think I’d heard of that form of drumming, but I’m checking it out on Tube of You now. And musical architecture is a thing. Like a real, palpable thing, not just building music to be heard. There’s a performance hall in Copenhagen that might think of itself as an oyster and the music produced inside of it as a pearl. That is, if buildings think.

[drwex]

That's a lovely analogy and I think I get what you're saying with it.

I've always been a fan of drumming; it's so long ago I've now forgotten how I first found out about taiko troupes. I've seen Kodo half a dozen times.