amanojaku

Bio:

Amanojaku Concert DVD "Soul Beat" Trailer



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Click Buy Now to purchase the full DVD. .. .. .. .. .. Taiko is the soul beat of Japan. For every Japanese, taiko means the village shrine festival, the celebration of a good harvest or fishing catch, the primordial rhythm of folk songs.

Amanojaku takes that proud legacy and lands it right on the concert stage of modern art. Amanojaku breathes the funk of Tokyo's cityscape, the multi-layered vibrations of the present and faraway sounds like swing and samba – all integrated with the Japaneseness of taiko. Amanojaku is also about physical and spiritual discipline. Choreography that accentuates the tune's narrative is a key driving force for the unfolding musical tales.

As one of the world’s most respected taiko ensembles, Amanojaku has toured more than 40 nations, including Thailand (‘06), the United States (’05) and Brazil (’04). Amanojaku has performed at the prestigious Japanese National Theatre four times.

Founder and leader Yoichi Watanabe’s compositions often use phrasings inspired by Kabuki-based mood-evoking sound effects that call to mind a cicada’s song, dashing waves, or a voice echoing in a valley, and blends them with other forms of indigenous music. By changing the context, touch and interpretation, Mr. Watanabe takes rhythms such as a Latin bell pattern and makes them sound naturally Japanese.

Mr. Watanabe is Special Advisor for Cultural Exchange, appointed by the Japanese government, as well as a First-Class Taiko Instructor certified by the Nippon Taiko Foundation. Mr. Watanabe has taught thousands of students, not only in Japan but also the United States, Brazil and Great Britain.

Amanojaku Official Website - http://amanojaku.info

Yoichi Watanabe Blog - http://amanojakuweblog.seesaa.net

Isaku Kageyama Website - http://www.isakukageyama.com

Member Since:

February 09, 2007

Members:

Yoichi Watanabe

Hiromi Ogawa

Mayumi Kawana

Harumi Wakui

Isaku Kageyama

Daisuke Watanabe

Naohito Watanabe

Influences:

Airto Moriera
Alfredo De La Fe
Art Blakey
Batacumbele
Beatles
Bill Evans
Bill Laswell
Bob Marley
Bobby Hutcherson
Bobby McFerrin
Buddy Rich
Buena Vista Social Club
Cannonball Adderley
Carlos Patato Valdez
Cecil Taylor
Charles Mingus
Charlie Parker
Chick Corea
Cream
David Murray
DJ Krush
Don Cherry
Duke Ellington
Eddie Palmieri
Elvin Jones
Giovanni Hidalgo
Herbie Hancock
Jaco Pastorius
James Brown
Jimi Hendrix
John Coltrane
John Zorn
McCoy Tyner
Miles Davis
Ornette Coleman
Ray Charles
Santana
Sarah Vaughn
Steve Gadd
Tito Puente
Tony Williams

Sounds Like:

Chichibu Yatai Bayashi
Eitetsu Hayashi
Gocoo
Gojinjo Daiko
Hono Daiko
Kenny Endo
Hiromitsu Agatsuma
John Kaizan Neptune
Kiyohiko Semba
Kodo
Kyosuke Suzuki
Leonard Eto
Musashi
Nihon Taiko Dojo
Oedo Sukeroku Daiko
Ondekoza
On Ensemble
Osuwa Daiko
San Francisco Taiko Dojo
San Jose Taiko
Shidara
Shinichi Kinoshita
Shonosuke Okura
Shuichi Hidano
Taiko Project
Tao
Tokyo Dagekidan
Yamato
Yoshida Brothers

Record Label:

Unknown Indie