Yamato Drummers of Japan

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Founded in 1993 by artistic director Masa Ogawa, taiko drumming group Yamato, from Japan’s Nara Prefecture, will be making a stop in Madison while on their 40-venue North American tour. Their new show is titled “Jhonetsu,” meaning “Passion,” and will feature their 16 troupe members banging traditional rhythms on wadaiko drums. Committed to preserving taiko tradition, while also adding some of their own fresh style, the group has performed in 54 countries and for roughly 8 million people.

press release: Yamato was founded by Masa Ogawa in 1993, and has been touring on a nonstop basis ever since, introducing the world to Japan’s traditional Wadaiko drums.

Yamato locates in the sound of these massive, 500KG instruments a human heartbeat (shin-on), the center of life and the source of power which pulsates within the body. Yamato attempts to recreate the energy of life, to envelop the audience and awaken in them a newfound passion. What one feels when surrounded by the thunderous and rhythmic sound of Wadaiko, brought out by these highly trained performers, is what the Japanese call tamashy, translated as soul, spirit, and psyche – the fundamental elements of life.