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Taiko
is a general term for Japanese drum, and the best
part of the Nisei Week celebration comes when taiko
troupes perform. There is nothing quite so basic and
tribal as a drum beat, and when you hear taiko you
will be swept away. Taiko is extremely disciplined,
with drummers playing at sometimes breakneck speed...
and all perfectly synchronized!
One
of the perennial favorites of L.A's Little Tokyo matsuri
is the taiko group, Zendeko. The
Zendeko troupe is composed of equal numbers of male
and female members, and their collective expression
is far more important and dominant than any individual
effort.
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In
taiko, the drumming of many melds into a single heartbeat.
Taiko troupes usually include other instruments to
round out their sound. The kane (bell), chan-chiki
(hand gong), and hyooshigi (wooden clappers)
can be heard accenting the large traditional drums.
Taiko
performance is physically demanding and requires great
skill and stamina. Drummers use kakegoe (shouts
and vocal calls), to encourage each other and to focus
their ki (spirit).
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The
young artists of Zendeko are a model for today's youth.
Disciplined and dedicated to an artistic vision, working
collectively and cooperatively to preserve and advance
the culture of their community... the exemplary spirit
of these young artists should be recreated everywhere!
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On
the very last day of the annual Nisei Week Festival,
an Ondo Dance is held. Ondo is a kaleidoscope
of color and motion, a photographers dream! Hundreds,
sometimes thousands of people will dance in unison
to the sound of traditional music. People of all ages
come out in their finest kimono for the celebration,
and onlookers are always encouraged to join in.
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Ondo
is always a magnificent occasion... the sheer beauty
and spectacle of thousands dancing gracefully down
the avenue, resplendent and elegant in all their finery...
is impossible to forget! Ondo dancers form a large
circle around a tall, stage-like podium called a yagura.
Atop the yagura are drummers, singers, and loud speakers
blarring the traditional music that the people dance
to.
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Many
dancers come out to perform in groups composed of
from 10 to 20 Dancers. Each group has its own unique
style of dressing so that one group will be dressed
all in pastel green kimono printed with purple plum
blossoms, while another group will be outfitted
in white kimono with blue checkerboard patterns,
and so on. The
effect is a dazzling, sumptuous, rainbow array of
color and style!
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The
dancing is slow, dignified, and exquisite, it is full
of refined gestures, grace and charm... it is the
very picture of sophistication itself. Many of the
costumed dancers have beforehand practiced their dance
moves under the direction of a master, so the discipline
and unity of movement is startling. The dancing goes
on for hours, and eventually spectators are encouraged
to join! Soon the number of dancers triples, as people
in street clothes gleefully join in!
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