Elemental Taiko drumming.

On the 18th September my wife and I climbed aboard a train and headed into London and the Southbank for this years Japan Matsuri.  This is a large festival where all of your senses are delighted with hot and cold food, craft stalls, martial arts demonstrations, musical performances, ikebana demonstrations, art exhibitions and much more besides and as you may have guessed, all from or about Japan.

Lanterns hanging in trees on the Southbank.

After wandering about to get our bearings and savouring the sights and some of the food on offer we headed over to the main stage to see a Taiko drummer group perform.  As we stepped into the stage area the first thing we noticed were the lanterns and origami cranes that decorated the sides of the floor space.  Large ikebana displays were sat at the side of the stage looking stunning in their complexity and composition and large drums were being set up ready for the performance.  The occasional woman in Kimono only added to the atmosphere and before long I was eagerly looking forward to what was about to come.

Lanterns and Origami cranes hanging in main stage.

 Two wonderful people (an English man and a Japanese woman) were introducing the various acts and performers throughout the day and at this point the petite Japanese lady stepped on stage and said a flurry of words in Japanese, only to be followed by the gentleman saying similar introductory comments in English.  Then a group of girls of various ages (from The Japanese school, London) stepped onto stage and prepared themselves to perform.

The Taiko performance.

They held up their drum sticks high and then launched into their performance spinning around one another as they took it in turns to hit the deep, bassy drums.  It was a visual as well as an aural treat.  The first piece gave them a chance to settle into their performance and then the music became more powerful as their set progressed.

You could tell the older girls had been playing for longer as their technique and strength allowed for a deeper, richer sound to come from the drums and there was something elemental about the deep drum notes and the cries that the girls let out to punctuate each particular piece. 

You could feel the drumming through your feet and against your chest as they played and the music quickly became hypnotic and powerful.  The drums are played with such skill and the combination of higher and lower pitch drums, along with the occasional handheld bell-like-objects builds into a forceful and resonant wall of sound that vibrates deep into your core.  Despite the alluring smells of hot food wafting up to me from the riverfront below and the bustle of the crowd mingling about me, I completely focused on the music and performance and, as in past experiences when I have seen Taiko drummers, I felt deeply moved by the time the performance had ended.

This was just one of the musical performance my wife and I experienced throughout the course of the day, but I have to admit it was one of my favourites.  I knew what to expect from visiting past Matsuri’s, but it didn’t take away from the power or my enjoyment one iota.

The perfect blend of British and Japanese.

I can’t wait for next years Matsuri to experience the delightful aspects of Japanese culture and to see some incredible Japanese music again and of course to fill my stomach with the amazing food on offer.  I always come away with my belly and bags full of food, but it is the fullness the music gives me that lingers the longest.

The Japan Matsuri welcome sign.