Date: November 13, 2001
Source: BYU Idaho review: BYUI Scroll

Drummers share sounds of Japanese culture

by Peter Jones
Scroll staff

Drummers of the San Jose Taiko perform Friday night in the Hart Auditorium. The performers combined world beats and rhythms with traditional Japanese sounds.

The Hart Building was filled with rhythm, dancing, chanting and colorful lighting as the San Jose Taiko (pronounced Tie-koh) drummers gave a spirited and meticulously drilled drum performance Friday night. They dazzled the audience with flashy costumes, quick, sharp movements and snappy rhythms.

“It was one of the best events that I’ve attended at Brigham Young University-Idaho so far. I hope they come back, and I will be sure to be in attendance again,” Mario Puente, a freshman from Chicago, Ill., said.

The group was founded in 1973 by Asian Americans who wanted to express their feelings as third-generation Japanese Americans. They turned to Japan for inspiration and were drawn to the traditional Japanese Taiko drums. This style of drumming was used to dispel evil spirits, send insects out of fields and produce rain for crops.

San Jose Taiko intertwines the beat of world rhythms such as African, Balinese, Latin, American rock and jazz with traditional Japanese sounds. The group believes that the spirit of Taiko is an expression of unity and respect.

For this group, performing is not just playing rhythms on a stage. Each member participates in the process of handcrafting drums, designing and creating costumes, choreographing and composing. Members of the group write many of they pieces that they perform. Performances require physical endurance. Both running and exercise are required of company members during practice.

As the group performs, members spend a lot of the time dancing around their drums and switching from one drum to another. Each of the pieces San Jose Taiko performs has a deep meaning behind it.
For instance, in the piece “Kagami” by Anna Lin, the faces of each of the players reflect their connection to the Taiko. “Kagami” is the Japanese word for mirror. “Pandala,” a piece by Franco Imperial, refers to taking something old and changing it to create something new.

Under the guidance of Managing Director Roy Hirabayashi and his wife PJ, creative director, the ensemble performed 14 numbers with varying beats in a 90-minute program with a 15-minute intermission. In the first half of the program, San Jose Taiko performed powerful and energetic pieces that got the crowd’s legs bouncing and feet tapping. They often switched tempos, lighting and the audience’s moods as they performed various pieces.

After the intermission, the group came out dancing and refreshed as it employed a lighthearted sense of humor into the program. It continued to dazzle the audience with new moves and beats.

“I really enjoyed how fun the group made their program. They sure kept my attention as they pranced around the stage and shouted out their chants,” Matthew Bleak, a sophomore from Portland, Ore., said.

San Jose Taiko tours throughout Japan and the United States. It has played in places such as the Nugget Casino in Reno, Nev., the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethon and at Carnegie Hall In New York City.

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