Drumbeats & heartbeats

The CCP Main Theater, at other times cavernous, could hardly contain the sounds and seemed to almost burst at the seams. The Yamato drummers as well as the Negros Drumbeaters treated the audience to what must have been the most pulsating and reverberating performance this august hall has witnessed in a long, long time.

It took a significant milestone like the official kick-off of Philippines-Japan Friendship Year to mark the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries to get the much in demand Yamato to the country; the group is booked years in advance with engagements all over the world. The significance of the event was emphasized by the presence at the opening of Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo and Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, and Japanese Senior Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Yasuhisa Shiozaki and Ambassador Ryuichiro Yamazaki. All four joined master drummer Masa Ogawa in sounding the opening drum.

With pure energy and sheer power, the drummers of Yamato–six men and two women–played out a four-part symphony like no other, running the gamut from coy and playful to intense and booming, with touches of in-your-face audacity and warm humor. Yamato has taken the ancient drum tradition of Japan and added modern rhythms and themes: the youthful drummers sported hip red and black costumes and punk hair. They were as fit as medaled athletes, muscular arms as hard as steel commanding the drums to speak and act out what words cannot. And best of all, they seemed like they were having the time of their lives–this was FUN!

The drums–known as "taiko" or "waidako" in Japanese and used in rituals and special ceremonies–vary in size from six inches to six feet in diameter. Founded by Masa Ogawa in 1993, the group is based in the ancient capital city of Nara, where Japanese culture is believed to have started. "Yamato" was the name Japan was known as in the eighth century.

The Negros Drumbeaters brought the hypnotic rhythms of the frenzied street dancing of the Masskara of Bacolod to the theater. Perhaps it is time for them to think of performing on their own and not only as accompaniment to the street festiviand therefore vary the beat and themes a bit to tell their own story. I assume they were aiming for the primordial or perhaps a jungle look, hence the painted faces and bodies and white sarongs with some headdresses that evoked the Apache. And they must lose those beer bellies, please!

The Japan Embassy and the Japan Foundation have lined up a whole year’s worth of activities to mark the year of friendship. Coming up next month is a concert of Japanese rock band Core of Soul and a joint concert with Pinoy rock bands, as well as the annual eagerly awaited Eiga-sai film festival. Japanese contemporary dance and traditional Noh theater are up in June, leading to the celebration of Philippine-Japan Friendship Day on July 23 with the staging of Puccini’s "Madam Butterfly".

The Waidako Yamato certainly sounded a spirited and inspired heartbeat for the next half-century of Phil-Japan friendship!