Wai Taiko: learning from the masters

With help from Asia:NZ, ILANZ, huge fundraising efforts and personal contributions, 10 members of Wai Taiko drumming group travelled to Japan for two weeks of performances and workshops in the “mother country” to celebrate the group’s 10th anniversary. What better place to receive recognition and further training for their favourite art form than in Japan, the homeland of wai taiko? Here’s what the group did and the impressions they gathered from their trip.

Using our network of taiko friends we found six opportunities across Japan to perform, and were able to organise and participate in multiple workshops in the height of the hottest summer Japan experienced in many years.

Wary of playing well-known, traditional songs we jacked up some new material including a brand new composition which fused Maori poi and vocal calls with the drums.

We nervously debuted this (pre-Japan) at our 10th anniversary concert in Hamilton and, hearing overwhelmingly positive feedback, looked forward to showing it to our Japanese audiences.

Our hard work paid off when traditionally reserved crowds of spectators gasped audibly and burst into spontaneous applause at the wonders of this little white ball on a string. Whenever we had the opportunity we taught people how to do the poi and it was a joy to share our skills and a small part of New Zealand’s culture with the people of Japan. It was heartwarming to see the interaction between Kiwis and Japanese despite the language barrier.

There was a lot of interest in our visit. Wai Taiko were featured in the Kyoto Times and a local newspaper in Nagoya. This experience of performing in Japan and being appreciated by those who know taiko very well has been humbling and inspiring to every individual member, and the pride in the group has grown exponentially. It is very important to us that we have credibility and the confidence to continue this art form in New Zealand as we are representing the Japanese culture here.

Along with performances we went to workshops wherever we could so we could learn new skills, be taught by masters and bring back new rhythms and techniques to add to our repertoire.

On Sado Island at Earth Celebration we split up and took part in multiple workshops so that we could gain as much knowledge as possible - each person will teach the rest of the group now that we are back in New Zealand. There were opportunities to learn not only pure taiko drumming but related arts such as bamboo flute, women’s style taiko and demon dancing which broadened our experience immeasurably and will inform our future practice and performances.

In Aichi-ken we stayed with Hide, a professional drummer and his family. Hide taught us a new song which we can add to our repertoire. It is also advanced enough to use as a tool for improving technique and  a sense of musicality.

In Kyoto we had a full day of drumming with the kids and Tachibana High School which is where two group members, Michelle and Lianne, first learned taiko. It was invaluable for our members to discover the roots of Wai Taiko and really get a feeling for the journey that our group has come on.

The trip to Japan has been valuable in so many ways. Performing there and being validated by appreciative audiences was important for our identity and confidence as a group. Participating in workshops gave us new knowledge and inspiration to write more of our own material, use and incorporate more traditional arts such as flute and demon dancing, and continue striving to increase our abilities and be the best that we can be.

All this benefits our local community because Wai Taiko will be providing even better performances and will continue to be active at public events so that Japanese culture is introduced to those who may not have been exposed to other cultures before.

We believe taiko drumming is the perfect way to break down barriers and make people excited about other cultures - not just Japanese culture - because it is so immediately accessible. The very nature of taiko - the immense sound of the big drums and the primal shouting, the colourful costumes, the sometimes martial, sometimes dance-like choreography, and the physical vibration you feel in the centre of your body invariably draw people in.

Taiko drumming ensures the local community is vibrant and we want to carry on providing this service. To do this we need projects such as the trip to Japan to motivate and inspire, grow and learn.

The Wai Taiko drummers’ trip to Japan was supported by a grant from Asia:NZ’s arts programme. Photos courtesy of Wai Taiko.