| Doors: 7 pm | Show: 8 pm | Tickets: from 43.00 EUR plus fees |

There is still magic in this world

[Dajana] Where to start? How to describe adequately such a breathtakingly amazing and unique event? It is music. No metal but utmost heavy. There are a lot of drums. Not the usual ones. There is nothing, common, usual and ordinary at all. No, this is an experience one has all watch-, listening and live concert habits to let go. This is an experience that demands an open mind, an open heart and open senses, to let in the magic. The magic of drums, the magic of the Samurai, the magic of old Japanese traditions, the magic of art, dance and performance…
[BRT] Where to start? Yes, a good question, as this performance has less to do with a classic live show we are used to it. It is a combination of music, dance, performance, acrobatics and Japanese culture.

[Dajana] TAO - The Martial Art Of Drumming. TAO is a Japanese drum and dance ensemble formed in 1993 by Ikuo Fujitaka. In 2005 TAO came to the attention of an international audience and tour around the world since then. And so they do in 2017 with their new show: TAO - Samurai Of The Drums. This performing group combines music and dance to reflect Japanese tradition, among others the centuries-old Wadaiko-art, but also incorporates Korean, Maori, and Indonesian influences. While some songs are traditional, most are modern compositions created by members of the ensemble. Many of their performance pieces include only percussion instruments, and in some cases only Taiko drums, but other pieces include the Shinobue, or Japanese flute, bamboo marimba, gongs, and the Koto, a horizontal harp.

:: pics :: TAO - Samurai Of The Drums ::

[Dajana] I was totally stoked, happy and utmost curious when I got confirmed for this event. I was so much excited and could hardly wait to enter the road towards Dortmund and its :: Konzerthaus Dortmund ::, a premiere too. To come a bit down we entered a Vietnamese restaurant around the corner for some delicious food and hot ginger tea (it is called NhyStar, much recommended).

[Dajana] Ah, and finally, time has come to turn out the lights and to open the curtain, while first drum sounds created a magic atmosphere. For more than 2 hours (with a 20 minutes break in the middle) the audience of an almost sold out concert hall got pleased with an extraordinary show of awesomeness. It was a breathtaking performance of gracefulness, body control, dynamics and energy. A fantastic choreography and effective costumes catapulted the audience into an era long ago into the land of the rising sun.
[BRT] I actually had no idea what to expect. I once heard tunes of a supposedly similar ensemble called Kodo, which could be described as Japanese drum music. But it’s nothing compared to what I got to experience tonight. Here, all senses got challenged.

[Dajana] All movements were of highest aesthetics, no matter if at the sword’s or stick’s dance, the balance of a huge cuboid or just the lift of the flutes to the lips and the play on the Koto harp. Men, woman - it was equally graceful and unbelievably delicate, of a decent erotic, wild and sensual at the same time. The bow of Arisa Nishi at the end of the show happened with such loveliness and grace… incredible. Just to die for… Cuteness overload.
The handling of the huge drums looked as light as a feather, whereas flexing of the muscles shown the heavy labor of the artists.
[BRT] Indeed, absolutely impressing how the guys tucked the partly big and unwieldy drums under their arms, danced and whirled around and kept a straight face. In other sequences they played drums at such a breakneck pace that you couldn’t follow them anymore with your eyes. No, it wasn’t far away from high performance sports, although hardly all artists were challenged at the same time. But their ability to not collide during those high-speed parts, to keep up the synchronization of the choreography and also connect to the audience at the same time… that was truly stunning! Matchless!
[Dajana] Yes! And it doesn’t wonder that the TAO ensemble train in their own center in the Kujū Highlands on Kyushu called Grandioso. The strenuous physical demands of their performance style forge them to train as athletes. Their daily workouts include a 20 kilometer run, calisthenics, martial arts training, and hours of dance, drum, and music practice.

[Dajana] The dancers wore cleverly designed martial costumes in the veins of traditional Samurai clothing visually supporting their movements, jumps, twists and turns. Drums were whirled, the eternal battle between good and evil fought with swords, drums and sticks, or man against man. The ladies wore dresses with a traditional obi sash based on the kimonos Geishas were wearing. Even the traditional getas weren’t missed out. Of course, the costumes perfectly harmonized with the particular performance and - in combination with movement and music - was a feast for the eyes. The outfits got partly changed in an twinkling of an eye, while the attention of the audience was drawn on a special presentation. There was a dancer for example, who clowned around, always joking and making fun and so loosened up the strict choreography.
[BRT] Many parts of the show developed a martial atmosphere, supported by screams, chanted words and commands. The progressions of the single performances were highly dynamic and cleverly put together. On a highly powerful sequence a quiet one followed to calm down. Romantic or mystic scenes were interspersed with drums unobtrusive in the backgrounds while focusing on flutes or harps.

[Dajana] The Sound in the concert hall was brilliant, kind of a surround sound, not too loud yet so clear and powerful that the drum rhythms made your tummy tickle. It goes without saying that the show was finished with standing ovations by the audience and frenetic applause. And of course, an encore was given, with a little break used by two performers saying heartily thank you and wittily draw attention to the merchandise in the foyer ;)
[BRT] The encore was again an absolute highlight. The essence of what TAO is about and a summary of the entire show with all elements and the entire ensemble included.

[Dajana] A recommendation: since I realized that you can’t buy the CDs or DVDs anywhere else, go and buy them at the show.
[BRT] To be honest, I’m not sure if visuals or audibles can properly reflect atmosphere, mood and fascination of what we experienced live. The acoustic effect of drum music is probably great but the whole, all senses approaching magic can hardly be reproduced.

[Dajana] Ok, here we are at the end of the live report. What’s left to say? That we have experienced a wonderful evening and an outstanding show should be clear now ;) This event was truly breathtakingly amazing, stunning, out of this world. If you like drum music, go and catch TAO! They still tour through Germany and Europe with many dates left. What an evening! An evening of A!

story © Bert & Dajana • pics © Dajana & Dajana Winkel • Photography