Fubuki Daiko impressed the audience with their synchrony and rhythm that was not only heard but felt. Pictured (L-R): Bruce Robertson, Hiroshi Koshiyama, Giselle Mak and Naomi Guilbert.
Hiroshi Koshiyama donned the lion head and performed the Japanese Lion Dance. If bitten by a lion during the dance, tradition says it brings good fortune and health.
SEELEY LAKE – Fubuki Daiko filled the Seeley-Swan High School gymnasium with their traditional Japanese drumming Tuesday, Oct. 18. Their high-energy performance included elements of dance, meditation and drumming. Their synchronized movements accompanied the rhythm that shook the ground and could be felt outside the gymnasium.
The four-person drum ensemble played Taiko, a broad range of Japanese percussion instruments. The performers rotated through the various instruments, sometimes switching in the middle of the piece.
Traditional Japanese flutes were also used. The notes rose above the foundation of rhythm laid down by the drums, providing a meditative atmosphere.
Hiroshi Koshiyama, the group manager, and his wife Naomi Guilbert, wrote many of the compositions performed. The group took the attendees on a journey in the first half through pieces ranging from a walk in the woods on a spring day, to the afterlife and onto Monsters of Rock.
The second half had an animal theme where attendees were treated to monkey music and the Japanese Lion Dance. Koshiyama is the only Canadian formally trained in the art of the lion dance.
After the last selection, the audience quickly rose to their feet for an encore. Many in the audience agreed that the encore was the best performance as the drummers danced through two drums facing each other, sticks flying high as they hit the drums and never missed a beat.
Reader Comments(0)