Taiko group Amanojaku, led by Yoichi Watanabe, is offering workshops in Tokyo. Odaiko (big drum) FRI July 4, FRI July 18, FRI Aug. 22 and FRI Aug. 29, 2008. 7 pm – 8:30 pm Working at the Basics SAT July 5, SAT July 19, SAT Aug. 23 and SAT Aug. 30, 2008. 3 pm-4:30 pm 8,400 yen per month (two lessons). All at Taikonosato Kyouwakan near Yutenji station on Tokyu Toyoko Line.
Amanojaku in Concert Aug. 13, 2008 7 p.m. and Aug. 14, 2008 2 p.m. Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Japanese Immigration to Brazil An event that promises to be a bold statement of legacy and vision, the concert will feature the Japan premiere of “Kizuna,” in Brazil by 1000 drummers for the centenary celebration in June. Special guests Kyosuke Suzuki (yokobue flute) and Katsunari Sawada (shamisen) At Nerima Bunka Center TEL: 03-3993-3311 Advance Tickets: 4,000 yen Door Tickets: 4,500 yen. All seats non-reserved. Ticket Pia – http://pia.jp/t P-Code: 293-971 TEL: 0570-02-9999 Amanojaku TEL: 03-3904-1745 FAX: 03-3904-9434
Daihachi Oguchi, a pioneer in making taiko an international art form, especially among overseas Japanese communities, has died. A big taiko event in his honor is being organized in Japan in August. Details are upcoming. The first time I saw Mr. Oguchi perform was in San Francisco in the 1970s with San Francisco Taiko Dojo. He used to say there are two drums _ one on Earth and one in Heaven. That’s why the players trained in his style point their bachi sticks upward, reaching for the sky, in between beats. He is probably up there now playing that heavenly drum. It’s a testament to the power of taiko and the commitment of Mr. Oguchi and others who have followed in his path to see how taiko has grown to be played all over the world _ as faraway as from the shrine in Nagano that’s home to Oguchi’s Osuwa Daiko as Brazil and Kuwait. It’s now simply taken for granted that taiko is modern music capable of delivering professional level performances and world-class artistic expression as much as jazz or the blues or hiphop. Every taiko drummer in the world, including my son, owes so much to Mr. Oguchi. In his art, vision and pure persona, Mr. Oguchi deserves the highest honors for what he has done for Japan’s image in the international community _ inclusive, honorable, innovative and a lot of fun. (More links to the Obit. )
Video by someone who was at Amanojaku’s June 19, 2008 concert in Brazil. Thanks for the video! Isaku’s blog and entry from his end on the same concert. The piece being performed is “Five Color Taiko,” in which five players drum out music that is at once together and coherent in unison yet also individual, creative and unique, expressing the essence of the human spirit as interpreted by Amanojaku leader and composer Yoichi Watanabe. Brazil, home to the biggest Japanese community outside Japan, is also home to a younthful and vibrant taiko culture.
Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Japanese Immigartion to Brazil AMANOJAKU TAIKO DRUMMERS with Kyosuke Suzuki (yokobue flute) and Katsunari Sawada (shamisen) Wed., August 13, 2008 19:00 (Doors open at 18:30) Thu., August 14, 2008 14:00 (Doors open at 13:30) Nerima Bunka Center TEL: 03-3993-3311 Ticket Prices: Advance Tickets: JPY 4000 Door Tickets: JPY 4500 All seats are non-reserved Ticket Release Date: June 5, 2008 Ticket Sales: Ticket Pia – http://pia.jp/t P-Code: 293-971 TEL: 0570-02-9999 Contact: Amanojaku － http://amanojaku.info TEL: 03-3904-1745 FAX: 03-3904-9434
CASE CLOSED: Evidence of Amanojaku influence among Japanese Brazilian youngsters doing a great rendition of “Kenka Yatai,” by Yoichi Watanabe, Amanojaku leader, composer and master drummer. Together for a century and building for the next century _ look at that little kid on the right, a future taiko star!!
TOGETHER FOR A CENTURY: One Thousand Brazilians Drum up a Celebration The 100th Year Anniversary of Japanese Immigration to Brazil
(TOKYO) _ The celebration of the 100th year anniversary of Japanese immigration to Brazil will be coming to Sao Paulo’s samba venue Skol Arena Anhembi with an unmistakable blast in a June 21 taiko drumming performance by Amanojaku, a Tokyo-based group now on their sixth visit to the country.
Amanojaku blends an innovative, modern sound that is all Tokyo with “hogaku” sounds including Kagura festival music and Edo-style Sukeroku taiko, to create fascinating Japanese contemporary percussion music.
Amanojaku has performed in the U.S., Great Britan, Thailand and other nations. But in recent years, much of their ambassadorial work has focused on Brazil, the nation with the biggest overseas Japanese community in the world.
The drummers for the Sao Paulo event are mostly Japanese-Brazilians in their teens and 20s. Amanojaku drummers have been working closely with the youngsters, delivering the message that taiko is a way to connect with Japanese roots and to revel hiphop-style in cultural pride.
It’s a surprising ironic twist of rediscovery for Japan, a nation where an idolization of the West has many _ young and old _ forgetting their own legacy, or maybe just taking it for granted.
The Japanese Brazilan youngsters will perform the tune, fittingly called “Kizuna (Bond),” co-composed by Amanojaku leader Yoichi Watanabe _ a spectacular rendition by 1,000-drummers-strong lined up along the 500-meter long venue.
“Playing taiko requires more than just technique,” says Mr. Watanabe.
Learning the value of hard work, perseverance and teamwork is all part of taiko, he says.
The event is a moving and joyous testament to the success story of Japanese-Brazilians, who are now an integral part of a dynamic and booming Brazil.
For photos, video clips and interviews in Japan and Brazil, please e-mail Isaku Kageyama at isaku.kageyama@amanojaku.info or call Amanojaku at 81-3-3904-1745 (for calls from Japan: 03-3904-1745).
AMANOJAKU CONCERTS:
IN TOKYO Amanojaku Taiko Concert – Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Japanese Immigartion to Brazil Personnel: Amanojaku, Kyosuke Suzuki (yokobue flute), Katsunari Sawada (shamisen) Date and Time: August 13, 2008 Wednesday at 19:00 (Doors open at 18:30) and August 14, 2008 Thursday at 14:00 (Doors open at 13:30) Place: Nerima Bunka Center TEL: 03-3993-3311 Ticket Prices: Advance Tickets: JPY 4000 Door Tickets: JPY 4500 All seats are non-reserved Ticket Release Date: June 5, 2008 Ticket Sales: Ticket Pia – http://pia.jp/t P-Code: 293-971 TEL: 0570-02-9999 Contact: Amanojaku － http://amanojaku.info TEL: 03-3904-1745 FAX: 03-3904-9434 Sponsors: Asano Taiko
ELSEWHERE:
Ecchu Oshima Daiko 20th Anniversary Concert Date and Time: June 15, 2008 at 14:00 Place: Kosugi Bunka Hall “Rapport” Contact: Hechima Sangyo TEL 0766-52-5454
100th Anniversary of Japanese Immigration to Brazil Celebrations Date: June 21, 2008 Place: SKOL ARENA ANHEMBI （Sao Paulo, Brazil） Contact: Associacao Brasileira de Taiko TEL +55-11-3341-1077
12th Nippon Taiko Festival Date and Time: July 13, 2008 at 12:30 (Doors open at 12:00) Place: Sapporo Education and Culture Hall Ticket Prices: Advance Tickets JPY 2500, Door Tickets JPY 3000 (All seats are non-reserved) Ticket Sales: Ticket Pia TEL 0570-02-9999＋Pコード(290-857) Contact: Nippon Taiko Foundation TEL 03-6229-5577
Kan Nihon-kai Taiko Festival Date and Time: July 27, 2008 at 18:00 (Doors open at 17:00) Place: Ohama Seashore Stage Ticket Prices: Advance Tickets JPY 2000, Door Tickets 2500 Contact: Kan Nihon-kai Taiko Festival Organization Office TEL 0234-26-0381
3rd Japan Taiko Festival Date and Time: August 3, 2008 at 18:30 Place: Kurashiki TIVOLI Park “Plaenen Stage” Ticket Prices: Please purchase an admission ticket to TIVOLI Park Contact: Kurashi TIVOLI Park Information Center TEL 086-434-1111
Search for “amanojaku” on iTunes Music Store, Napster, eMusic.com, and other online music distributors.
One Thousand Taiko Drummers Celebrate Japan-Brazil Immigration 100th Anniversary
(TOKYO) – Amanojaku, one of the world’s most respected taiko ensembles, has been appointed by the Nippon Taiko Foundation to direct a performance by one thousand taiko drummers at Skol Arena Anhembi, Sao Paulo’s finest samba venue, on June 21. Amanojaku will also hold a concert in the city. The performances celebrating the 100th anniversary of Japanese immigration to Brazil are the culmination of a bold and innovative five-year program. The drummers, primarily Japanese-Brazilians in their teens and 20s, will perform “Kizuna (Bond)” co-composed by Amanojaku leader Yoichi Watanabe at the 500-meter samba venue. “Playing taiko requires more than just technique,” says Mr. Watanabe, who is making his sixth trip to Brazil to help young Japanese-Brazilian men and women discover their roots, learn the value of hard work, perseverance and teamwork through the traditional Japanese art form. Taiko has spread rapidly through the nation known for its love of percussion, and is now played by more than 60 groups. The event is a moving testament to the success story of Japanese-Brazilians, who have risen through hard work, to become an integral part of a dynamic and booming country. About Amanojaku － http://amanojaku.info As one of the world’s most respected taiko ensembles, Amanojaku has toured more than 40 nations, including Thailand (’06), the United States (’05) and Brazil (’04). Amanojaku breathes the funk of Tokyo’s cityscape, the multi-layered vibrations of the present and faraway sounds like swing and samba – all integrated with the Japaneseness of taiko. About Yoichi Watanabe － http://amanojakuweblog.seesaa.net Founder and leader of Amanojaku, Yoichi Watanabe, is one of taiko’s premier players and instructors. Mr. Watanabe’s influence on taiko is most recognizable through his compositions, which feature a distinctive modernity combined with traditional techniques. For more music from Amanojaku can be found on the iTunes Music Store, Napster, eMusic.com and other online music distribution sites. Contact Information Isaku Kageyama TEL: 03-3904-1745 FAX: 03-3904-9434 E-Mail: isaku.kageyama@amanojaku.info Skype: ikageyama MSN: ikageyama@hotmail.com
If you’ve always been curious about what it’s like to bang on those Japanese taiko drums, a one-day beginner’s class is being offered by Amanojaku Saturday, March 29 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m. at Tokyo Geijutsu Gekijo, just outside Ikebukuro Station West exit in the basement rehearsal room. 5,000 yen (2,500 yen for elementary school children). For the more ambitious, learn Bujin, Amanojaku’s signature chudaiko tune, 4 p.m.-5:30 p.m., or the giant Odaiko from 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m. (both 7,500 yen; English speaking instructor _ my son Isaku _ on scene). TEL: 03-3904-1745 email: taikoshudan@amanojaku.info
Amanojaku collaborated with the tap dancers of Takeshi Kitano’s “Zatoichi” fame. Their performance delivered a deliciously unexpected juxtaposition of percussive narratives at a Roppongi Hills outdoor stage.
