Taiko drumming – that assertive and unmistakable expression of Japanese culture - is coming to Nelson!
The Nelson Izu-shi Friendship Society has invited the group Yamabiko Taiko from Kelowna to perform at The Capitol Theatre at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28.
Yamabiko Taiko was founded in 2003 by an informal collection of enthusiasts with home-made instruments and has evolved into a professional, regularly performing company. Yama is “mountain” in Japanese; biko is “echo.” The sound of taiko echoes through the mountains in a literal sense, but also echoes around the world in a figurative sense, transcending linguistic and cultural boundaries to make connections between communities.
Yamabiko Taiko’s visit to Nelson has been made possible through a special grant from the Japanese Canadian Legacies Society, which oversees the distribution of funding meant to redress the historical wrongs suffered by Canadians of Japanese descent in B.C. during and after the Second World War. The celebration of Japanese Canadian culture is especially relevant to us, given the proximity of Nelson to seven former internment sites near New Denver, Slocan City and Kaslo, where several thousand Japanese Canadians were held.
This funding has allowed the Friendship Society to offer several workshops and events this year that raise community awareness and understanding through a deeper exploration of Japanese culture. Past events include Sumi-e (painting with ink), Bunraku (Japanese puppetry) and Bento cooking (Japanese lunch box meals). Still to come are Calligraphy and Origami (paper folding) on Oct. 5th and Nabe (Japanese hot pot) preparation and Sake tasting on Nov. 23rd.
To open the evening with Yamabiko Taiko, we will view some short clips of stories of internment experiences told by local Japanese Canadians. We gratefully acknowledge the Nelson Museum, Archives and Gallery for providing these to us.
Tickets for Yamabiko Taiko’s performance are $15 for adults, $5 for children and may be purchased from the Capitol Theatre box office, or online at capitoltheatre.ca.
The group will also be conducting two well-subscribed workshops on Sept. 28th and 29th. This is an occasion not to be missed.
The Society hopes to generate enough enthusiasm for Taiko drumming that a local group can be formed and trained. Anyone wishing to inquire about the Society’s future events (including the two Taiko workshops) or to express interest in joining a local Taiko group may write to nelsonizushi@gmail.com, with the subject line “JCL Workshops.”
