Traditional Music for the Modern Era
(TOKYO) – “Soul Beat,” the just released DVD from Amanojaku is an opportunity for international audiences and newcomers to “taiko” music to discover the ground-breaking sound of one of Japan’s top taiko ensembles.
The DVD, Amanojaku’s first, delivers an energetic live performance by the seven-member band of original compositions by Yoichi Watanabe, who has toured more than 40 nations and taught hundreds of people not only in Japan but also in the U.S. and Brazil.
Amanojaku pieces are innovative musical statements that combine traditional technique with modern rhythms, and seek to challenge other great forms of world music aｓ modern Tokyo music.
The snapping snare-drum-like shime evokes the seasons like Kabuki. The soulful pulsating beat of the giant odaiko demands fierce muscular control. And the collage of rhythms slips in and out of kagura shrine beats to Latin percussion.
Amanojkau pieces are played in a unique and demanding physical style that some critics have compared to dance choreography. The 94-minute DVD of Amanojaku’s 20th Anniversary Concert features premieres of “Kaiun” and “Goshiki no Taiko” as well as trademark pieces such as “Bujin.”
Product： Amanojaku 20th Anniversary Concert DVD “Soul Beat”
Release Date: March 15, 2007
Price： JPY 5000
Specifications： 9 tracks 94 minutes
Contact： Amanojaku TEL： 03-3904-1745 FAX： 03-3904-9434
（Click to enlarge image）
View Trailer
Press Releases（PDF）
November 30, 2006 Music for the Deaf Leading Japanese Drum Ensemble Invites Deaf Children to Concert
October 3, 2006 Amanojaku 20th Anniversary Concert “Soul Beat
September 4, 2006 Hear Amanojaku on the iTunes Music Store
August 2, 2006 Torch of Japanese Tradition Arrives in Brazil
Interview with Yoichi Watanabe after the 20th Anniversary Concert (Japanese)
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Upcoming Amanojaku Performances
Dechikonka 2007
Date: October 20-21 (Saturday and Sunday)
Place: Kihoku Town Hall Main Stage (1-800 Oaza-chikanaga Kitauwa-gun Ehime 798-1395)
Contact: Kihoku Town Hall TEL: 0895-45-1111 FAX: 0895-45-2061
2007 National Cultural Festival in Tokushima “Taiko Festival”
Date: October 27-28 (Saturday and Sunday)
Place: Tokushima Gymnasium (6 Jyonai Tokushima-cho Tokushima 770-0851)
Contact: National Cultural Festival Executive Office TEL: 088−621-5178 FAX: 088−624-1281
Ayutsubo Taiko 20th Anniversary Concert
Date: November 11 (Sunday)
Place: Nagaizumi Cultural Center (821-1 Shimotogari Nagaizumi-cho Shizuoka 411-0943)
Contact: Ayutsubo Taiko TEL: 055-986-5581
2007 Nippon Enka no Yume Masturi Tour (Background Music Only)
Date: February 24 (Saturday)
Place: Nagoya Rainbow Hall (5-1-16 Higashi Matabei-cho Minami-ku Nagoya Aichi 457-0833)
Contact: Nagoya Nippon Enka no Yume Matsuri Organizer TEL: 052-232-5717
Date: February 27 (Tuesday)
Place: Osaka-jo Hall (3-1 Osaka-jo Chuo-ku Osaka 540-0002)
Contact: Osaka Nippon Enka no Yume Matsuri Organizer TEL: 06-6263-1887
Date: March 3 (Saturday)
Place: Fukuoka Convention Center (7-1 Okihama-cho Hakata-ku Fukuoka 812-0031)
Contact: Fukuoka Nippon Enka no Yume Matsuri Organizer TEL: 092-751-7900
Date: March 14 (Wednesday)
Place: Grade 21 (40-1 Sugaya-asatate Rifu-cho Miyagi-gun Miyagi 981-0122)
Contact: Sendai Nippon Enka no Yume Matsuri Organizer TEL: 022-263-2643
Date: March 23 (Friday)
Place: Hokkaido Sports Center (11-1-1 Toyohira-gojo Toyohira-ku Sapporo 062-0905)
Contact: Sapporo Nippon Enka no Yume Matsuri Organizer TEL: 011-207-0514
Search for “amanojaku” on iTunes Music Store, Napster, or eMusic.com
Contact
Isaku Kageyama
5-9-11-101 Minami Tanaka Nerima-ku Tokyo, Japan 177-0035
TEL: 03-3904-1745 FAX: 03-3904-9434
E-Mail: isaku.kageyama@amanojaku.info
Skype: ikageyama
MSN: ikageyama@hotmail.com
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English Program
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Thank you for joining us in celebrating the 20th anniversary of our taiko ensemble Amanojaku. Twenty years make up practically a generation, and today gives me an opportunity to look back on those years. We see life as a never-ending path as we strive to perfect our music and claim our place in the legacy of taiko as an art form.
Today, we are proud to present three new compositions:
“Toshin Susano-o” is a rearrangement of a 1994 composition, which explores the limitless possibilities and diverse voices of the taiko drum.
On “Goshiki no Taiko” each player showcases his or her individuality on the odaiko, forming a breathtaking vortex of sound with each beat.
“Kaiun ~Inori・Negai~” expresses respect to our ancestors, and a deep gratitude for the blessed life that we have inherited. Through this music, we hope to instill the fading Japanese spirit in the hearts of the next generation.
We hope you enjoy today’s performance, and thank you always for supporting the music.
Yoichi Watanabe
Amanojaku Founder and Leader
First Set
1. Toshin Susano-o (Composed 1994, Rearranged 2006 by Yoichi Watanabe)
When the spirit of the listener flickers as shadows on his back,
The ancient god possesses almighty power
2. Bujin (Composed 1994 by Yoichi Watanabe)
No one has ever witnessed such drummng
Now, the body fills with an awesome trepidation
3. Kagura (Composed 1994 by Yoichi Watanabe)
Sound pierces space
The heart remembers a forgotten past
4. Aioi (Composed 1994 by Mayumi Kawana and Hiromi Ogawa)
Time over time, the two breathe to coexist with a timeless moment
5. Dotou (Composed 1999 by Yoichi Watanabe)
A thunderous voice set free by the waves
Second Set
1. Goshiki no Taiko (Composed 2006 by Yoichi Watanabe)
The glorious world of light spreads, reaching all,
Turns into hues of five different colors
2. Kaiun ~Inori・Negai~ (Composed 2006 by Yoichi Watanabe)
The fountain of concentrated sound
The stoic guardian of the passage of time
3. Kokyo (Composed 1994 by Kyosuke Suzuki)
A fading melody
Tantalizing, exhilarating moods
4. Tamashii no Hibiki (Composed 1994 by Yoichi Watanabe)
The spiritual fire of life
The echoing beat of your soul
