Performances
Taiko Festival
In late February 2008 Wai Taiko hosted the first ever taiko festival New Zealand. Many months of preparation, planning and multiple funding applications finally culminated in a spectacular weekend, with 6 out of the 8 NZ taiko groups and two professionals from Japan gathering in Hamilton for this special event.
Based at the WEL Energy Academy of Performing Arts for the weekend, we made the most of the outstanding venue - holding two concerts in the Gallagher concert chamber and participating in workshops in Te Whare Tapere Iti and the Dance studio.
Friday night saw us and the general public treated to a concert by the professionals Riichi Yamauchi and Kenji Furutate. None of us knew what to expect and we were consequently completely awed by their consummate skill and mesmerizing charisma. We knew they had affected everyone when we saw the crowd swamping them afterwards!
We had workshops all day Saturday with all the groups having a chance to learn from the masters. These were tiring but energizing at the same time! On Saturday night the big Festival Concert was held - a first ever chance to see all the NZ groups showcase their own special styles. Riichi-san and Kenji-san also did solo performances and the whole evening was rounded off with a history making finale piece with all the drummers (in excess of 50 people) on stage with every taiko drum we could muster being put to use. I think all of the audience had to cover their ears! Special thanks to Riichi-san for gifting his original song (Yaraiya) for the festival!
Wai Taiko would like to thank:
- all the taiko groups who participated: Haere Mai, Mukume, Racco, Tamashii, Taikoza and Wai Taiko.
- our funders Sky City Community Trust, NZ Japan Exchange Programme, Hamilton Community Arts Council
- important, helpful people Corinna Watts, Graham O'Hanlon, Brian Groves
- all those who attended the concerts and shared our passion for taiko!
As part of the Taiko Festival Riichi and Kenji visited a number of schools to do demonstrations of taiko. One such school was Morrinsville College and Kenji wrote about their experience there on his blog when he returned to Japan:
"We went to a high school which had lots of Maori kids. These Maori students showed us the haka after our performance, just out of the blue. A teacher told us that it was voluntary and that they don't do that every time they have guests. They looked really scary but actually they were very good looking and gentle-mannered. Once they started the haka they released an extraordinary impact and power and had an overwhelming presence. As soon as they started, I felt the air and atmosphere in the room totally change and their Maori blood was liberated. I had goose bumps. We were blown away.
I hope that I can recreate such an impact one day. I hope that I can create something like their aura in a way which can change everyone around me once I start drumming, even though I'm an ordinary person when I'm not performing. We were so lucky to see such an excellent haka. Thank you so much."
Profiles
Riichi Yamauchi
An acclaimed percussionist, drummer, shamisen player and composer. Born in 1974 in Tottori, Japan, he began learning the shamisen at the age of 6. After attending Kyoto Conservatoire majoring in percussion, he began studying traditional folk ongs under the guidance of a professional master. He then joined Matsurishu, a high-profile professional Japanese drum group in Kyoto, and soon became its musical director. Since 2001 Matsurishu has performed in Canada, Central America and Korea. Riichi is in great demand as a solo percussionist and shamisen player for many varied projects including theatre productions in Kyoto, along with many concerts in Tottori, Okayama, Nagoya and Kyoto. He not only performs traditional Japanese music but also performs for classical orchestras, ensembles and chamber music groups. He held solo shamisen concerts in Vienna and Berlin in 2006 and 2007, and released his first solo CD Yaraiya in 2004.
Kenji Furutate
A flamboyant drummer and percussionist with a special spark. Born in 1980 in Osaka, Japan, he was a founding member of Dakanto, a successful professional Japanese drum group established in 2000 in Nagoya. He went on to establish GONNA, a professional percussion group in 2003 and has held numerous concerts all over Japan including a performance for the World Expo in Aichi in 2005. He Became a solo artist in 2006 and has collaborated with many artists from various fields including dance, Japanese traditional, rock, jazz and classical music. His outstanding improvisational abilities are widely known throughout Japan. In 2007 he was invited to be a member of a specially assembled unit for performances in Shanghai and Beijing for the 35th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties between Japan and China. The concert was broadcast national in both countries.