Master to bang the drum for Japanese taiko playing
Taiko expert bringing unique musical performance to Calgary for first time
The sound of the great drum is believed to replicate the steady beating of a mother’s heart to the unborn child in her womb.
Next month, Calgarians will be able to judge for themselves as the world’s greatest performer on the taiko drum plays in the city for the first time.
The image of Eitetsu Hayashi — standing on stage before the giant drum with his back to the audience — is now familiar across the world. But growing up in a Japanese Buddhist temple where his father was a monk, Hayashi never imagined he would one day change the face and sound of music.
“Growing up, I’d always hear the ritual gongs and drumming at the temple. But I never thought that I’d end up becoming a professional percussionist,” he recalled.
Then, as with millions across the world, Hayashi heard the Beatles for the first time, with Ringo Starr behind the drums.
“I heard She Loves You when I was 12 years old and was completely hooked.
“I loved the drum intro of that song. Since becoming a performer, I haven’t been influenced musically by Ringo but I’m a fan of him, both as a musician and as a person,” said Hayashi.
Now aged 66, this will be Hayashi’s first visit to Calgary, although he has performed in 53 countries during a career spanning almost half a century.
He and his four-member group, Eitetsu FU-UN no KAI, play at Studio Bell on Aug. 10. Tickets for the two-hour event are $20. The Canadian tour is part of celebrations marking the 90th anniversary of Canada-Japan diplomatic relations.
“This is my first time in Calgary but I’ve heard that it’s a beautiful city where the Winter Olympics were once held, so I’m really excited. The audience will be able to experience Japanese taiko unlike anything they have ever seen before,” he said.
Performing on the large taiko drum is challenging physically as well as musically. As a young man, Hayashi would train to the limits of his endurance to deal with the challenges.
He would run between 40 and 50 kilometres each day between performances and, in 1975, as part of a group publicity stunt, he and band members ran the Boston Marathon before performing a full musical drumming routine in front of delighted spectators.
The music and fame of the taiko drum has spread and there are many other performers today. However, Hayashi remains the musician others aspire to and, despite being in his 60s, he does not intend to retire or take a back seat to anyone.
“I’ve been taiko drumming for 47 years now. Since I’m definitely an ‘old man,’ everyone always worries about whether it’s difficult for me to drum and, certainly, my method of playing taiko is not easy.
“These days there are many drummers who mimic the style and form of drumming I have created, but I constantly want to stay ahead of the others. No matter how old I get, I want to keep moving forward in my own method. Because that’s the way I do things, even if the years pile on,” he said.
Hayashi never believed this form of music would become a worldwide sensation. Today, overseas audiences are even more enthusiastic about his performances than those in his homeland.
“Back then, no one in Japan would think that the world would embrace Japanese taiko drumming. It’s something not even I could have anticipated. So it was quite unexpected that the audiences that most strongly received the performances that I created were those outside of Japan,” Hayashi said.
“I have met with many audiences overseas who have been brought to tears. From their reaction, I learned that regardless of race, language, religion or culture, people’s feelings can be expressed through taiko,” he added.
Hayashi believes the bond with the deep, steady beat of the drum is formed before birth.
“Children in their mother’s womb listen to a sound that is the same frequency as a Japanese taiko.
“It is such a wonder that the sound is in the memory of all children, and all the adults who were once children themselves, all over the world.”
More information on the Calgary performance can be found on the Studio Bell website.