Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers are a group of talented individuals who have a great love of the Japanese traditions of Taiko drumming and performance. Based in Scotland the troupe have been drumming out traditional Japanese-based rhythms for 25 years, and as such, are celebrating this year as Europe's longest-running Taiko performing troupe.
The word 'taiko' is Japanese and simply translates a 'drum', although our Western understanding of this is a little different since the vast majority of Japanese drums are double-sided (have a skin on both ends and can be played at both ends) and so we tend to think of 'taiko' as meaning this kind of drum; especially when combined with traditional style rhythms and choreography [Kumi-daiko].
It ws the first time that Mugenkyo have visited Middleton and the large arena space provided a lovely echo chamber for their drums to reverberate in. Despite the audience being disappointingly small, they were very appreciative and I hope that Mugenkyo will include the venue when next touring.
The concert this evening was split into two halves. The first half was entitled, 'Tribe', and was an extension of last year's Edinburgh Fringe show celebrating and bringing together all peoples' of the world in the belief that we all are one, and it is our differences which unite us, not divide us. Using song and movement as well as instruments the 7 members of Mugenkyo played music both based on Japanese tarditional rhythms and song as well as Western pop music which was given a distinct Japanese make-over! A lovely central section using UV lights and strands of material 'dancing' around creating shapes and patterns was hypnotically beautiful.
Most unfortunately this evening the venue's lighting operator was having a bad day and there were several sections where it was obvious the lighting had gone awry, including allowing the troupe to perform an entire song in complete darkness!
After the ineterval, and the troupe had decided to play the pieces which had given them the most pleasure over their 25 year existence, and so a change of costume and a change of mood was called for. Before the break, the troupe wore costumes inspired by Japan and were quasi-authentic but also modern in their look with flourescant face paints (which would have worked much better had the ligthing been doing what it should have been!) whilst the second half saw them wear a type of modern army-inspired grey camourflage.
This section was a little more traditional in the pieces they played too, including a haunting melody played on the shakuhachi [a traditional Japanese bamboo flute - played the same way a recorder is in the UK]. In fact, the troupe used a few different instruments in many of their pieces throughout the evening in order to augnemt and compliment the drums: gong, xylophone, shinbue [a bamboo flute played like a flute] and a couple of percussion instruments of which I was not familiar.
Without doubt the Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers are a feast for the senses, as they think about all aspects of theatrical production in their performances, but it is their undoubted skill and passion for the drums which is paramount and as they performed with all kinds of drums from a single skinned, hand-held drum shaped like a tennis racket to the huge odaiko drum making the earth quake with it's booming beat, they need to be seen (and heard) to truly get a measure of their performance and ability. The agility and talent needed to be relentlessly banging out complicated and intricate melody patterns whilst crossing hands over two different drums whilst performing judo-inspired choreography takes drumming to a whole new level, and this troupe absolutely nailed it!
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 17/5/19
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