Interview: Yamato's Masa Ogawa on Their Latest Production HINOTORI - THE WINGS OF PHOENIX

Yamato: The Drummers of Japan will play Southern California at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts March 3rd and the Soraya Center at CSUN March 4th with their latest show Hinotori -The Wings of Phoenix. This North American tour marks Yamato's 30th anniversary season. Masa Ogawa, the founder and artistic director of this globally-renown Japanese Taiko drumming group, shared a few behind-the-scenes facts on Yamato.

Thank you for taking the time for this interview, Masa!

You founded Yamato in 1993. What inspired you form this outlet of Japanese musical creativity? A chance to perform in Asuka's Shinto shrine festival with Yamato's original song "Hyu-ga (The Sunrise)"?

In 1993, I was working with my parents in their gift store. One day my mother found an old big Taiko drum in the small shrine of our town. That shrine is named Toichi-Jinjya (The meaning of Jinjya is shrine). Then she said to me, "Why don't you try something for the shrine festival with this drum?"

So, I composed "Hyu-ga" which was our first song. Thinking about this event - if my mother did not meet the old taiko drum, we would not be here.

How many people were in your original group?

At the 1st performance, we played with 4 members.

How many in Yamato present day?

In the past 30 years, the number of members has changed, but we are usually around 20 people.

How many members do you tour with?

This tour we are performing with 9 drummers and 2 crews for light and sound.

How often do you hold open auditions for new members?

We have no auditions. We just accept someone who wants to join the group and wants to do the work to become a member.

You were touring Jhonetsu (Passion) in New York when the lockdown began for everyone. Did you get to complete all your performances in New York? Where was Yamato when everything got shut down?

Our U.S. tour 2020 started on 17 January. And shut down in Madison, Wisconsin on 12 March because of COVID-19. It was in the middle of the tour schedule and just before coming to the west coast of the U.S. Luckily we were able to perform some of the shows before everything shut down

Your troupe spent the pandemic back at home in Asuka village (known as the birthplace of Japanese culture). Did your members connect/rehearse via Zoom?

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we stayed together as a family. We didn't meet any other people and we couldn't have any shows for two years, but we continued to train together in Asukamura. We practiced together and did online performances.

What did you Masa Ogawa do to keep creatively sane? Create the current new Yamato productions Tenmei or Hintori?

I was doing many things to protect members and the group. One big challenge was creating online performances by ourselves. This was not for money but for the motivation and the creativity of the mind. All members worked on their skills for that. It took time but we were getting more knowledge day by day. We gave online presentations from our studio and from our home base of Asukamura. We broadcasted from historical heritage places of Asukamura with big support from each place, local people, neighbors, and the government of Asukamura.

Playing wadaiko (or as most westerners know it - the taiko drum) requires a lot of physicality and stamina. Are there exercises that you require your members to regularly practice?

Our regular practice starts with running in the morning at 6am. Members run about 10km in the mountains and the rice fields in Asukamura. And after breakfast they are doing basic training for both the body and the taiko drumming. After lunch, we rehearse for the show. We try to develop each song until dinner time at 7pm.

How much did taiko drums effect your childhood? Any family members played?

For me, I was not familiar with Taiko drumming.

My family didn't play Taiko.

What instrument did you learn first: guitar or wadaiko?

I played guitar first.

My first contact with Taiko drumming was when I was 24 years old. It's so late but if I had met Taiko drumming earlier, I think I couldn't have created Yamato.

In producing Yamato, you compose all the music, choreograph the drummers' movements and get involved with the lighting, sound and costume designing. You learned graphic design in college. Where did you learn all your other disciplines?

Learning all of these things allows me to give people good surprises in our performances. I am interested in everything that is able to give energy to people's lives. I liked to draw since childhood, so I learned graphic design in university. Maybe I am creating the show from the view from my eyes. Since Taiko is more like music, it seems that I would create a show based on the ears, but I think I probably create a show based more on the eyes, on the scenery I can see between them, and on the energy I feel from them, rather than on the ears.

You create a new Yamato show every two years. When do you start making notes for the new show? Right after the current show is up on its feet?

I am starting the next creation just after the current show starts touring. To be honest, I don't decide when I will or I have to start making a new show. However, when I am watching a show, I am always imagining something more. More good sound and rhythm. More good scenes. Thinking about costumes and movements of the body. Lightning and sets, etc...

Yamato has toured all over the world. Outside of Japan, where have you experienced the most rousing audience responses?

The U.S. audience gives us the loudest applause!

When we drum with humor, we love to hear everyone, from small children to adults, laugh loudly together. That gives us fresh energy!

Do you find time to explore the cities you play in?

To be honest, it is difficult for us to take enough time to see each town unfortunately.

However, all members get to see the town when they are on their run in the morning.

What's the proudest moment you've had with Yamato?

It is our first performance in Toichi-jinjya.

It was the seed of Yamato.

There was energy.

How far in advance is Hinotori booked to tour?

Our U.S. tour was postponed for 4 years by the COVID-19. Hinotori is touring 28 venues in North America through April 16th.

Besides HInotori, is there any other projects in the near future for Masa Ogawa?

We will have tours in Japan, Philippines, Germany, Hungary, Spain etc. this year.

And we will have the 30th anniversary special festival in this Autumn in Asukamura!

Thank you again, Masa! I look forward to experiencing Yamato when it lands at The Soraya.

For tickets for the live performances at the Soraya March 4, 2023; click on the button below:

Yamato will also play at the Cerritos Center March 3.

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