KPFA-FM Music Dept. ➔ Evening Concert: Japan - USA Taiko Festival (July 4, 1981), 1 of 2
Analog Audio
Event Type
MusicOrigin
KPFAIdentifier
AM.1981.07.04.c2.AProgram Series
Evening ConcertProgram Length
126 minPart
1 of 2Dates
1981-09-07 | broadcast| 1981-07-04 | created
Description
A stunning concert of the ancient art of Japanese Taiko drumming, recorded live at the Japan Center Theater in San Francisco, on July 4, 1981. Ensembles from the United States and Japan perform for a capacity audience in the first ever meeting of groups from the two countries. Masters of Ceremony Ben Nakajo and Junko Nakagawa introduce the players in English and Japanese, and comment on the art from and the individual selections. Grand Master Daihachi Oguchi, who leads an all-star ensemble featuring members of his own O-Suwa Daiko group as well as performers from two other major Japanese taiko groups, is interviewed midway through the concert and provides some background material on the art form, including the dictate that says performers must embody the music and first play five spiritual drums hanging from heaven before striking a sound from their physical counterparts.The history of taiko is interwoven in the fabric that is the history of the Japanese people. Regarded as sacred since ancient times, the drum was first used to drive away evil spirits and pests harmful to crops. In times of drought, it was believed that by imitating the sound of thunder, the spirit of rain would be forced into action. At harvest festival time, the taiko was joyfully beaten in thanks for a bountiful crops, and at times of war it was known to have been performed as a means to pray for victory. In more recent times this ancient art form has been rediscovered and popularized in Japan and abroad, and is a sophisticated synthesis of rhythm, harmony, and body movements. (from KPFA Folio and Concert Program Guide)
Genres
World musicMusical Selections
Seven Lands (12:30) -- Shin Sei (”New Life”) (4:54) / Denver Taiko Group -- Oni Taiko (19:28) / Seiichi Tanaka -- Amano-Naru Tatsuo Dai-Kagura ”Sacred Music for the God of Drums” (11:18) / [arr. by Daihachi Oguchi]Performers
San Jose Taiko Group (Seven)Denver Taiko Group (New)
San Francisco Taiko Dojo (Oni)
All Japan Osuwa Taiko Group: (Amano)
Subjects
World musicMusic -- Japan
Taiko (Drum ensemble)
Percussion ensembles
Flute with percussion ensemble
Related places
San Francisco (Calif.) (was recorded at)Berkeley (Calif.) (was broadcast at)
Related Entities
San Jose Taiko GroupDenver Taiko Group
San Francisco Taiko Dojo (Musical group)
All Japan Osuwa Taiko Group
O-Suwa-Daiko (Musical group)
Yoshida, Michael
Nakajo, Ben
Nakagawa, Junko
Tanaka, Seiichi, 1943-
Tanaka, Seiichi (Composer)
Oguchi, Daihachi, 1924-2008