The most popular Japanese drummer band YAMATO in the world
Yamato, the world’s most popular group of Japanese drummers, celebrates its anniversary in Moscow – 20 years of the show! On April 4, 5 and 7 in Moscow, on the stage of the Theater of the Russian Army, the Yamato taiko samurai will present a new magnificent show to the court of sophisticated Moscow spectators, combining the most precious numbers and memoirs from 20 years of history and new plots.
For Japanese Yamato drummers (“Yamato”), the drums became an inspiration, through self-realization and the meaning of life at the same time.
The identity of this collective is expressed in everything. Armed with dozens of different drums, Japanese musicians create a theatrical avant-garde musical show on the stage with elements of dance, each participant of which, without exception, hones his skills daily. Moreover, each of them subjects his body to constant physical training, because playing the drums is not the easiest job. All this is done in order to improve their show day by day. Japanese drummers play traditional Japanese drums – Taiko. This is an ancient instrument made from the skin of an animal and the bark of ancient Japanese trees. The sound of this drum is as loud as the sound can be! Each drum in this team has a reverent attitude. Indeed, some of them are more than three hundred years old … They say that the secret of secretly is the sound of Japan itself.
The Yamato team was founded in 1993 by a Japanese named Masa Ogawa, thanks to whose efforts the ensemble’s popularity grew rapidly. Already in 1998, drummers went on their first trip around the world, collecting full houses and winning countless musical awards. Since then, under the motto “go wherever your name is and try to make the world even a little happier” they have given over 2,500 performances in more than 50 countries! The number of group members has increased from 4 to 17, and currently consists of both men and women. Spending time in constant training and improving their physical form, independently making and restoring instruments, working on the design of their shows, Yamato were able to raise the level of performances to a level unattainable for other drum ensembles. Masa Ogawa, director and composer of the band, every two years comes up with a new program of performance, new tricks and musical numbers.
The name of the new anniversary show program “ROJYOH” in Japanese means “On the Road.” After all, they have been creating, working, living, eating, dreaming and playing drums on a road trip around the world for all these 20 years, giving more than 200 concerts a year.
It may seem to many that the traditional performance of Japanese drummers is boring to watch, but “Yamato” is a modern spectacular, colorful and energetic show, with pyrotechnics and other special effects. Musicians perform in authentic Japanese costumes, combining drumming with dancing, elements of a theatrical performance and humorous scenes. Beating the most complicated rhythm on traditional Japanese drums secretly, musicians put their souls into these unusual instruments, creating a whole range of different sounds and moods, from softly tapping raindrops to thundering peals. Their exhilarating performances are appealing to both eyes and ears and are a magnificent embodiment of dexterity, precision and physical inexhaustibility.
The show of Japanese drummers will begin with a musical performance called “The Birth of Yamato”, this rhythm is the beating of Yamato’s heart, the pulse of his soul. He involves the audience on a journey, in the finale of which both musical gourmets and unbreakable businessmen, brought almost to ecstasy, themselves begin to set the rhythm for drummers. The effect of playing Japanese drums is compared with hypnosis. Like it or not, everyone can experience for themselves. Members of the team believe that everyone sitting in the hall takes part in the show in full. One thing is certain: even the most sophisticated viewers will be amazed at the grandiose spectacle that they applauded on all continents. In general, you can, as usual, download music in contact and stick headphones in your ears or go to a concert and plunge into the amazing atmosphere of the magic of powerful beats of traditional Japanese drums secretly, feel the air vibrate from the sound and the heart adjusts to the magical rhythms.
