Nature’s Rhythm: Heartbeat from Japan (2020)

Overview

Eitetsu Hayashi is a Japanese taiko drum performer who is recognised as an innovator in the history of Japanese music.

Particularly known for his pioneering style of performance with drum sets of various sizes and kinds, he has taken his art beyond the traditional techniques of Japanese drumming to create a new style of solo drumming requiring unprecedented levels of virtuosity and physical prowess. In this way, he has launched a new realm of music by freeing the drum from its traditional role as percussion accompaniment and bringing new life to it as a contemporary solo instrument.

Hayashi's performance titled Nature’s Rhythm: Heartbeat from Japan comprises two parts. The first is a collaboration between Hayashi and pianist Takashi Niigaki, who will perform the famous classical work Bolero by Maurice Ravel and Oni-Arare, composed by Japanese composer Akira Yuyama. Audiences will feel the powerful vibrations of Japanese drums as they cross the boundaries of cultures and discover innovative musical possibilities in this unique collaborative performance between taiko and improvisational free jazz piano.

In the second part of the programme, which focuses on Japanese drums, Hayashi will perform Mio no Hasu with the members of Eitetsu Fu-un no Kai in a display of new contemporary Japanese taiko drumming styles. This work was inspired by the life and work of scholar Takumi Asakawa, who was active in creating ties between the different cultures of Japan and Korea.