Taiko drummers enthrall audience with their art

The show started with a bang. Five performers stood by their drums; four at deep drums and one in front at a small high-pitched drum. They played a five minute song, shaking the halls of Russell Auditorium, and captivated their audiences’ attention from the beginning.

The Ronin Taiko Drummers have performed together for about five years, but their art form has existed in Asia for 8,000 years. “Taiko” in Japanese literally translates to “drum” or “wide drum.” These massive percussive instruments were first used in modern-day China and Korea to encourage soldiers in war, as a method of calling orders, and to delineate borders. The Shinto and Buddhist drummers who played the taiko long ago believe a God lives in the drum.

Modern uses of the taiko in Japan commonly occur at fishermen festivals known as matsuri, and as encouragement to loggers and fishers on the shores.

Ronin tries to maintain an authentic feel to its performance. The performers have mastered a mix of both musical talent and martial arts.

One of the performers described their show as “all of the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of life brought together.”

They quite literally live, breathe, and perform their art. Their performances usually last an hour and a half, but they live their art continuously by practicing and meditating. Their rigorous training can also include running, weight lifting, and long hours of exhausting practice.

Their practice also requires a mastery of their group “ma,” or feeling of rhythm by way of the intervals of space in between them. This fascinating concept requires that the trained musicians give up their sense of rhythm and definition of musical time, and instead simply feel the beat. Each player must be completely in sync with the rest of the group to achieve the perfection Ronin strives for.

The English system of rhythm in bass drumming, as they explained, relies on a series of straight eighth notes. Another system, which they explained like a horse uses a syncopated feel. Matsuri and traditional taiko playing uses a distinctive triplet feel.

The drums they use range from the meter diameter shime-daiko to the much larger and deeper hira-daiko. Positions to play the drums include straddling the drum and leaning back as well as squatting beside the drum, both of which can be physically demanding.

The show also includes various other percussive instruments like cymbals and incorporates a type of flute. These instruments serve to cut through the deep bass of all of the drums to help to keep the rhythm. Each performer also punctuates their drumming with accented and short vocal calls.

“I really enjoyed the show,” said Freshman Colin McLean, “I had to go for my music class, but I am definitely glad I saw them.”

Ronin Taiko Drummers certainly captivated their audience throughout their performance. This initial performance for the semester set the bar high for the rest of the scheduled performances at GCSU.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Jan 23 2009. Filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry