Special Performance at the Opening Ceremony
We warmly welcome you all to the EAFONS 2023 Opening Ceremony where you will enjoy Wadaiko (Japanese drum) performance by Oedo Sukeroku Taiko, who is one of the oldest Japanese Drums entertainment groups!
Today’s Performance
- 春雷 Shunrai
- 白梅 Shiraume
- 祭 Matsuri
- 神輿 Mikoshi
Introduction of Oedo Sukeroku Taiko
Oedo Sukeroku Taiko
In1968, Seido Kobayashi founded the first professional Japanese Drums group, Sukeroku Taiko in Tokyo. For over a half century, they have presented high level artistic performances, using only Japanese percussions without any other melodious instruments like Shamisen or Fue.
Performed at all over Japan, they have got high reputations. The group has developed Taiko culture not only as a local tradition but also as an elaborated stage performance.
In 1989 the group attended ‘Europalia Japan’ in Belgium. Right after it started concert toursin more than 40 countries. The tours were most active in France and Europe; they appeared major music festivals like Paleo Festival, Ella Fitz Gerald Festival (Switzerland), Agadir Festival (Morocco) and etc.
Oedo Sukeroku Taiko created a unique slant drumming style. They applied classic Kabuki music and traditional Obon festival music in downtown Tokyo into their pieces.
The concerts of the group are specially appreciated for the strength and vivacity but also delicacy of the sounds, as much as the accomplished choreographies.
Often called “musidance” because the sound to be listen to is as important as the beauty of the movements of drummers, all the compositions are original and use also voices, like in traditional/classic Japanese music; variation of rhythms, very precisely composed pieces and improvisations also make performances sometime be compared to jazz.
The group sometimes performs in collaboration with other Japanese or non Japanese musicians : Japanese shamisen, Chinese Koto etc., and is also often invited to participate to television programs or musical theaters.
The group trained many generations of drummers in Japan and around the world; there are now several groups performing this Oedo Sukeroku Style not only in Japan but also in the US, Indonesia and France.
