Let’s get loud

  • 2010-11-24
  • By TBT staff

FRINGE DRUMMERS: Japanese percussion masters bring their beat to the Baltics.

RIGA - Within the next few days the two Baltic capitals - Riga and Vilnius - will be resonating with the sounds of Yamato’s The Drummers of Japan, a high-energy percussion group that will no doubt be making headlines, as they will present their newest program called “Matsuri Fiesta.”

The drummer group was founded 17 years ago in Japan’s Nara prefecture, formerly called Yamato, which is said to be the birthplace of Japanese culture. It was founded in 1993 by its choreographer and main creative force, Masa Ogawa, a drum enthusiast, who now concentrates as much on giving Yamato a strong visual presentation as on the music itself.
Since its creation, the group has made over two thousand live performances to over one million people in more than 45 countries in Asia, Europe, and America. The group’s international debut occurred in 1998 at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where the group was awarded the “Sprit of the Fringe” award. Twice it has also entertained the Baltic public; they played in Riga and Vilnius back in 2004 and in all three Baltic capitals in 2007.

The band is known for their spectacular shows during which they present the art of playing traditional taiko drums. The performance by Yamato is an unusual combination of drum sounds with sounds of traditional plucked string instruments (koto, chappa, shino-bue, samisen, kane). Yamato excellently interprets the musical traditions which have been associated with the culture and religion of the Cherry Blossom Land for centuries.

Yamato Drummers performs, using several tens of a wide range of size, timbre and sound of traditional Japanese drums Wadaiko, which are mostly made from natural materials. The biggest of them - odaiko - are made of huge, more than 400 year old trees.

The exciting performance, that combines both theater arts, music, amazing sleight of hand and virtuosity, is an excellent contribution to the artistic skills and sense of humor of group members, which creates a memorable experience both for your eyes and ears! During the concert the audience is surrounded by a buzzing sound puzzle that resonates from the soft touch of falling rain to the breathtaking excitement explosion.

The drummers say: “While playing our instruments, which delight the hearts of viewers around the world, we fully put in all our soul, and our drum beats, like the heartbeat, is playing in the rhythm with the pulse of life!”
Yamato will be back on the Baltic stage on Dec. 2 in Vilnius, at Pramogu Arena and on Dec. 3 at Riga Congress Hall. So hurry up and get your tickets on time, since this will be the time to make some noise!