From warrior-like intensity to delicate beauty and humor, Yamato

From warrior-like intensity to delicate beauty and humor,
Yamato brings taiko into the present, February 24
Photo: Yamato; photo by Masa Ogawa.
HANOVER, NH—Bringing the ancient art of taiko drumming into the present, the company Yamato: Drummers
of Japan storms the Hop’s Spaulding Auditorium stage on Wednesday, February 24, at 7 pm.
Yamato celebrates the strong
and continuous rhythms of life
in Bakuon–Legend of the
Heartbeat, a pulse-pounding
spectacle of athleticism and
speed, superhuman feats of
coordination and phenomenal
precision.
Young, modern and
unbelievably energetic, the
men and women of Yamato
perform on a mind-altering
array of traditional percussion
instruments large and small,
including a massive odaiko
drum six feet in diameter and
made from a 400-year-old tree.
Under dramatic lighting, the tightly choreographed drummers whirl through musical moods ranging from
thunderous power to delicate beauty and tamashy (spirit), from warrior-like intensity to moments of levity.
“This is a show of unbridled enthusiasm, much humor and great musical variety,” wrote The Scotsman (UK),
while The Evening Post (UK) called the show “simply captivating. The incredible talent and sheer enjoyment of
what they do was plain to see.”
Yamato was founded by Masa Ogawa, who still directs the group, in 1993 in Nara Prefecture, considered the
birthplace of Japanese culture. Still based there, Yamato gives 150-200 performances a year worldwide. “Go
anywhere if invited and make the world a little happier” is the group's motto. With 150-200 performances a
year worldwide, Yamato takes its motto very seriously.
Taiko (also called wadaiko) encompasses a broad range of Japanese percussion instruments. Historical records
suggest that they were introduced to Japan through Korean and Chinese cultural influence as early as the 6 th
century CE, and some taiko are similar to instruments originating in India. The Nihon Shoki, the second oldest
book of Japanese classical history, contains the myth of an elder goddess Ame-no-Uzume, who lured an angry
younger goddess out of a cave by emptying out a barrel of sake and dancing furiously on top of it. Historians
regard her performance as the mythological creation of taiko music.
Throughout history, taiko have been used by the military, to communicate orders to the troops and to
intimidate enemies; to accompany Japanese kabuki and Noh theater and traditional dance; and in both Shinto
and Buddhist ceremonies. There are currently at least 800 taiko groups in Japan.
Most taiko drums are double-headed, but vary greatly in size and shape. They are played with bachi, or sticks.
Training as a taiko player includes learning kata, the proper posture and movement: as in martial arts, an
engaged hara or abdomen is considered central to proper kata, as is a wide, low stance, with left knee bent
and right leg straight and hips relaxed and facing the drum.
Download Word.doc press release and high-resolution photos
CALENDAR LISTING:
Yamato: Drummers of Japan
Young, modern and unbelievably energetic, the men and women of Yamato turn the ancient Japanese art
of taiko drumming into a heart-pounding spectacle of athleticism, precision and exhilarating musical
expertise. Under dramatic lighting, wielding a battery of percussion instruments around a six-foot-diameter
drum at center stage, they whirl through musical moods ranging from thunderous power to delicate beauty
and tamashy (spirit).
Wednesday, February 24, 7 pm
Spaulding Auditorium, Hopkins Center for the Arts, Hanover NH
$20/25/30, Dartmouth students $10, 18 and under $17/19
Information: hop.dartmouth.edu or 603.646.2422
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Founded in 1962, the Hopkins Center for the Arts is a multi-disciplinary academic, visual and performing
arts center dedicated to uncovering insights, igniting passions, and nurturing talents to help Dartmouth and
the surrounding Upper Valley community engage imaginatively and contribute creatively to our world. Each
year the Hop presents more than 300 live events and films by visiting artists as well as Dartmouth students
and the Dartmouth community, and reaches more than 22,000 Upper Valley residents and students with
outreach and arts education programs. After a celebratory 50th-anniversary season in 2012-13, the Hop
enters its second half-century with renewed passion for mentoring young artists, supporting the
development of new work, and providing a laboratory for participation and experimentation in the arts.