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From playing the okedo to striking the shime-daiko, watch these Japanese drummers as they bring their much-awaited performance to the country
There is no better way of preserving culture than sharing it with others. And the taiko group Yamato knows this better than anyone else. This coming summer, the Japanese-based drummers will start the Philippine leg of their tour—eagerly waiting to grace the Filipino audience with a live performance. They will perform at Theatre at Solaire in Manila on June 11 and at the Philippine Nikkei Jin Kai International School in Davao on June 13, with tickets free of charge.
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Organised by the Japan Foundation, Manila (JFM) and presented by JT International Inc, the much-anticipated tour would be memorable. It marks the group’s first Philippine performance in over a decade, and they have been thrilling audiences worldwide with their exhilarating choreographies. So far, they had over 4,000 shows in 54 countries.
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JFM director Ben Suzuki shares that 2023 marks the 50th commemorative year of ASEAN-Japan relations. “To celebrate this milestone, JFM invited Yamato, one of the world-class Japanese drummers, to perform in the country,” he says.
He adds that the live sound of the Japanese drums will provide an authentic cultural experience that has been missed due to the pandemic, “and we hope it encourages people and celebrates this memorable anniversary of the relationship between Japan and the Philippines.”
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According to Yamato’s artistic director Masa Ogawa, when they learned that they would perform in the Philippines, it gave them “so much energy and excitement.”
“We are looking forward to the Filipino audience,” Ogawa says. “We tried performing the Philippine National Anthem using all these Japanese instruments [in the past] and received praises and good messages from [Filipinos].” Expectations were high on both the performers and audience’s end, making the group excited and nervous.
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Yamato will use around 20 to 30 drums for the concert, ranging from the okedo to the shime-daiko. They will also utilise shamisen, a three-stringed traditional instrument, and shinobue, a traditional flute.
The group goes to lengths to train for performances. They share that they all live in a mountainous area in Japan, and they would run around the fields. They would run up the stairs to train themselves physically as well. Afterwards, they would practice with their instruments, sometimes even lasting for eight hours, daily.
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“We’re going to prepare a lot; we’re going to practice a lot. . .We’re also looking forward to receiving energy from you and seeing all of you at the venue. Please come to watch us,” says Ogawa.
Admission to the concert is free of charge. However, the audience must obtain tickets via the TicketWorld website for the performances.
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Credits
Photography: The Japan Foundation, Manila
Angela Nicole Regis Guiral is a digital editor at Tatler Philippines. She studied journalism and has since written features that look closely at how culture, lifestyle and social impact converge, while occasionally wandering into the worlds of style and travel.
