MEO photos by Luis Silva

Great photos by Luis Silva _ a video-journalist/photographer/artist who creates We All Japan _ from the recent Noh stage concert by Isaku Kageyama and his Mother Earth Orchestra.

At One With Brazil

Amanojaku's Yoichi Watanabe and Isaku Kageyama are now in Brazil to share the joy of taiko.
"Kizuna" was co-written by Watanabe and the late Daihachi Oguchi of Osuwa Daiko for the 100th anniversary of Japanese immigration to Brazil, celebrated June 21,
2008 by a performance of 1,000 Brazilian taiko drummers.
The first four minutes of the piece is trademark Oguchi, and then the song breaks into Amanojaku-style taiko that is totally and distinctly Watanabe.
Below is video of a group in Brazil performing "Kizuna" in December:

And this is the same song performed by Amanojaku and students in Japan:

Amanojaku traveled to Brazil 6 times during 2004-2008, teaching more than 600 Japanese-Brazilian youngsters.
The performance was attended by 37,000 people, including Crown Prince Naruhito.
"Kizuna" means "bond" in Japanese _ what is in our heritage and our blood that transcends boundaries and the passage of time to connect people in spirit.
Amanojaku has continued to go to Brazil to teach in 2009 _ and now in 2010.

Amanojaku in Brazil

Video footage from the recent Amanojaku concert in Brazil.
"Bujin" by Yoichi Watanabe.
Solo by Hiromi Ogawa.
Like many Watanabe pieces, "Bujin" has a solo section that allows individual players to express their own version of Amanojaku taiko.
Hiromi Ogawa's is a classic.
It never fails to build excitement and tension as the perfect third solo for "Bujin."

Amanojaku Taiko in Brazil

Video by someone who was at Amanojaku's June 19, 2008 concert in Brazil.
Thanks for the video!
Isaku's blog and entry from his end on the same concert.
The piece being performed is "Five Color Taiko," in which five players drum out music that is at once together and coherent in unison yet also individual, creative and unique, expressing the essence of the human spirit as interpreted by Amanojaku leader and composer Yoichi Watanabe.
Brazil, home to the biggest Japanese community outside Japan, is also home to a younthful and vibrant taiko culture.

Together for a Century 2

CASE CLOSED: Evidence of Amanojaku influence among Japanese Brazilian youngsters doing a great rendition of "Kenka Yatai," by Yoichi Watanabe, Amanojaku leader, composer and master drummer.
Together for a century and building for the next century _ look at that little kid on the right, a future taiko star!!

Together for a Century: AMANOJAKU Taiko in Brazil

TOGETHER FOR A CENTURY:
One Thousand Brazilians Drum up a Celebration
The 100th Year Anniversary of Japanese Immigration to Brazil

(TOKYO) _ The celebration of the 100th year anniversary of Japanese immigration to Brazil will be coming to Sao Paulo's samba venue Skol Arena Anhembi with an unmistakable blast in a June 21 taiko drumming performance by Amanojaku, a Tokyo-based group now on their sixth visit to the country.

Amanojaku blends an innovative, modern sound that is all Tokyo with "hogaku" sounds including Kagura festival music and Edo-style Sukeroku taiko, to create fascinating Japanese contemporary percussion music.

Amanojaku has performed in the U.S., Great Britan, Thailand and other nations. But in recent years, much of their ambassadorial work has focused on Brazil, the nation with the biggest overseas Japanese community in the world.

The drummers for the Sao Paulo event are mostly Japanese-Brazilians in their teens and 20s. Amanojaku drummers have been working closely with the youngsters, delivering the message that taiko is a way to connect with Japanese roots and to revel hiphop-style in cultural pride.

It's a surprising ironic twist of rediscovery for Japan, a nation where an idolization of the West has many _ young and old _ forgetting their own legacy, or maybe just taking it for granted.

The Japanese Brazilan youngsters will perform the tune, fittingly called “Kizuna (Bond),” co-composed by Amanojaku leader Yoichi Watanabe _ a spectacular rendition by 1,000-drummers-strong lined up along the 500-meter long venue.

“Playing taiko requires more than just technique,” says Mr. Watanabe.

Learning the value of hard work, perseverance and teamwork is all part of taiko, he says.

The event is a moving and joyous testament to the success story of Japanese-Brazilians, who are now an integral part of a dynamic and booming Brazil.

For photos, video clips and interviews in Japan and Brazil, please e-mail Isaku Kageyama at
isaku.kageyama@amanojaku.info
or call Amanojaku at 81-3-3904-1745 (for calls from Japan: 03-3904-1745).

AMANOJAKU CONCERTS:

IN TOKYO
Amanojaku Taiko Concert – Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Japanese Immigartion to Brazil
Personnel: Amanojaku, Kyosuke Suzuki (yokobue flute), Katsunari Sawada (shamisen)
Date and Time: August 13, 2008 Wednesday at 19:00 (Doors open at 18:30) and August 14, 2008 Thursday at 14:00 (Doors open at 13:30)
Place: Nerima Bunka Center TEL: 03-3993-3311
Ticket Prices: Advance Tickets:　JPY 4000　　Door Tickets: JPY 4500 All seats are non-reserved
Ticket Release Date: June 5, 2008
Ticket Sales: Ticket Pia - http://pia.jp/t　　P-Code: 293-971
TEL: 0570-02-9999
Contact: Amanojaku　－　http://amanojaku.info
TEL: 03-3904-1745 FAX: 03-3904-9434
Sponsors: Asano Taiko

ELSEWHERE:

Ecchu Oshima Daiko 20th Anniversary Concert
Date and Time: June 15, 2008 at 14:00
Place: Kosugi Bunka Hall “Rapport”
Contact: Hechima Sangyo TEL 0766-52-5454

100th Anniversary of Japanese Immigration to Brazil Celebrations
Date: June 21, 2008
Place: SKOL ARENA ANHEMBI （Sao Paulo, Brazil）
Contact: Associacao Brasileira de Taiko TEL +55-11-3341-1077

12th Nippon Taiko Festival
Date and Time: July 13, 2008 at 12:30 (Doors open at 12:00)
Place: Sapporo Education and Culture Hall
Ticket Prices: Advance Tickets JPY 2500, Door Tickets JPY 3000 (All seats are non-reserved)
Ticket Sales: Ticket Pia TEL 0570-02-9999＋Pコード(290-857)
Contact: Nippon Taiko Foundation TEL 03-6229-5577

Kan Nihon-kai Taiko Festival
Date and Time: July 27, 2008 at 18:00 (Doors open at 17:00)
Place: Ohama Seashore Stage
Ticket Prices:　Advance Tickets JPY 2000, Door Tickets 2500
Contact: Kan Nihon-kai Taiko Festival Organization Office TEL 0234-26-0381

3rd Japan Taiko Festival
Date and Time: August 3, 2008 at 18:30
Place: Kurashiki TIVOLI Park “Plaenen Stage”
Ticket Prices: Please purchase an admission ticket to TIVOLI Park
Contact: Kurashi TIVOLI Park Information Center TEL 086-434-1111

Search for "amanojaku" on iTunes Music Store, Napster, eMusic.com, and other online music distributors.

One Thousand Drummers 2

Music critic and Billboard correspondent Steve McClure's article on 1,000 Taiko Drummers in Brazil ran in The Daily Yomiuri.
One of the drummers will be my son, Isaku Kageyama.

One thousand drummers

Young Brazilian taiko drummers

One Thousand Taiko Drummers Celebrate Japan-Brazil Immigration 100th Anniversary

(TOKYO) – Amanojaku, one of the world’s most respected taiko ensembles, has been appointed by the Nippon Taiko Foundation to direct a performance by one thousand taiko drummers at Skol Arena Anhembi, Sao Paulo’s finest samba venue, on June 21.
Amanojaku will also hold a concert in the city. The performances celebrating the
100th anniversary of Japanese immigration to Brazil are the culmination of a bold and innovative five-year program.
The drummers, primarily Japanese-Brazilians in their teens and 20s, will perform “Kizuna (Bond)” co-composed by Amanojaku leader Yoichi Watanabe at the 500-meter samba venue.
“Playing taiko requires more than just technique,” says Mr. Watanabe, who is making his sixth trip to Brazil to help young Japanese-Brazilian men and women discover their roots, learn the value of hard work, perseverance and teamwork through the traditional Japanese art form.
Taiko has spread rapidly through the nation known for its love of percussion, and is now played by more than 60 groups.
The event is a moving testament to the success story of Japanese-Brazilians, who have risen through hard work, to become an integral part of a dynamic and booming country.
About Amanojaku　－　http://amanojaku.info
As one of the world’s most respected taiko ensembles, Amanojaku has toured more than 40 nations, including Thailand ('06), the United States ('05) and Brazil ('04). Amanojaku breathes the funk of Tokyo's cityscape, the multi-layered vibrations of the present and faraway sounds like swing and samba – all integrated with the Japaneseness of taiko.
About Yoichi Watanabe　－　http://amanojakuweblog.seesaa.net
Founder and leader of Amanojaku, Yoichi Watanabe, is one of taiko’s premier players and instructors. Mr. Watanabe’s influence on taiko is most recognizable through his compositions, which feature a distinctive modernity combined with traditional techniques.
For more music from Amanojaku can be found on the iTunes Music Store, Napster, eMusic.com and other online music distribution sites.
Contact Information
Isaku Kageyama
TEL: 03-3904-1745　FAX: 03-3904-9434
E-Mail: isaku.kageyama@amanojaku.info
Skype: ikageyama
MSN: ikageyama@hotmail.com

Taiko in Brazil

This is a photo of my son Isaku during his previous trip to Brazil to teach taiko, Japanese drumming.
He's there now with his master sensei Yoichi Watanabe to do more good work.
Taiko tends to be viewed as something for old people in Japan, but it's totally cool in Brazil.
It's part of kids' lives and a music to party to.
My son is learning a lot from Brazil _ and the youngsters there who believe in the same magic of taiko that he believes in.
Isaku writes in his July 6 entry of his blog:
Learning how to teach
Aside from the 100th Anniversary music we've been teaching in Marilia, we've also been conducting 5th Degree Nippon Taiko Foundation Examinations.
The entry level exams we have been conducting in Marilia test drummers on basic knowledge of music and the history of taiko.
The exams present a high-pressure situation for the kids, because they must perform a piece perfectly as adults, peers and instructors look on.
Today, a boy who had trouble reading music could not perform the piece without making mistakes here and there. One by one, his peers passed the examinations until he was the only one left.
Watanabe Sensei put peers on either side of him so that he could follow them, and told the boy to play the piece again.
The boy, who was now teary-eyed, still could not play the piece.
Sensei shouted "Stop crying! You're almost there," and started the piece again.
The entire room was filled with tension, as everyone prayed. All of us wanted him to play the music perfectly.
After he finished playing, Sensei said "Congratulations! Muito bon!" and his friends ran over to him, hugging and patting him on the back. The boy could not hold back his tears.
Teaching taiko is not only about improving technique. It's about life experiences that will help the kids to be better people. It's about learning things that will help the kids succeed in whatever path they choose to take in life.
We hope the boy gained confidence in himself. We hope he learned that if you stick with something, good things will happen. And we hope all of us in the room learned something about kindness and caring for others.
As teachers, we try to teach these core values - but that is easier said than done. Today I got to see Watanabe Sensei work his magic, so that someday I may work my own.