LYNDON – KCP Presents and Catamount Arts will present the Yamato Drummers of Japan, at Lyndon Institute Auditorium, on Sunday, April 16, at 7 p.m. Precision-trained, tireless performers, the Yamato Drummers play with athleticism, reverence and power that resonates with audiences of all ages.
Yamato was founded by Masa Ogawa in 1993 in Nara, which is said to be the birthplace of Japanese culture. Presently based in Asuka Village, Nara Prefecture, Yamato travels all over the word with Japan’s traditional Wadaiko drums, putting its very soul into the unusual instruments.
In the village of Asuka, a place with more than a thousand years of history and culture, Yamato seeks new expression with Wadaiko as its backbone. They liken the sound of the drums – made of animal skin and ancient trees, some of which are more than 400 years old – to a pulse or heartbeat, the center of life and the source of power pulsating within the human body.
What one feels when surrounded by the sound of Wadaiko, brought out by these highly trained performers, is what the Japanese call “Tamashy”, translated as soul, spirit, and psyche – the basic elements of life.
For tickets to see Yamato Drummers of Japan, at Lyndon Institute Auditorium, or to learn more about the KCP Presents performing arts series, visit kcppresents.org or catamountarts.org.