Taiko groups explore an art that's more than drumming

The thunderous sound of Japanese ensemble drumming known as taiko is unmistakable, but it's far from the only sound you will hear at concerts by St. Paul's Mu Daiko later this week.

Mu Daiko is testing the boundaries of the art form.

The group's rehearsal room is deep in an old industrial building, a good place to work out routines that are often so loud you almost feel them more than hear them.

But there are many ways to play a drum, and Mu Daiko members delight in switching things up.

The dozen drummers at a recent evening rehearsal each crouched over a large taiko drum, scratching out a rhythm with their fingernails. They were rehearsing "Taiko Groove," the upcoming concert series at Concordia University in St. Paul. The drummers swayed in unison as they played, locked in formation as a group.

Mu Daiko Artistic Director Jennifer Weir explained that one of the great attractions of taiko is the way it involves more than just drumming. "It sits at this crossroads between music, dance and actually athleticism, like sports," she said.

Taiko developed in the 19th century in Japan as ensembles took drums that had been used as accompaniment to other instruments and put them at center stage. Originally taiko drummers were all male. But as taiko migrated to other countries, Weir said, it attracted different players.

"Especially in North America, I've found that predominantly women play," she said. "Like 70 percent."

Mu Daiko routines are intricately choreographed, from the moment performers walk on stage. The movement of a drummer around the drum is as important as the intricate pounding of her drumsticks.

"What I love about taiko is, the way that you use your body is inherent to the form. It's not merely the sound you make on the drum. That's part of it, the rhythms, the tones, etc., but it's really how you use your body as an instrument with the drum," Weir said.

As artistic director, Weir is always working with the group and trying new things. She is excited about collaborating with the Los Angeles-based group On Ensemble, which will be part of "Taiko Groove." She credited On Ensemble with "pushing that envelope of musical influences" and expanding the vocabulary of the form.

On Ensemble mixes traditional taiko with Japanese instruments and a healthy dose of modern jazz. Band leader Shoji Kameda said it was revolutionary when the early taiko musicians focused on the drums, and in a way, his group is continuing that revolution.

"It's really just kind of reconnecting the taiko back to these other instruments," he said.

Kameda is making new connections, too: On Ensemble uses everything from a modern drum kit to a ukulele. On top of that, he's a throat singer, weaving primeval overtones into the music.

Shoji Kameda said Mu Daiko is known for its readiness to bring different influences into its work, and he's looking forward to rehearsing together this week before the run begins at Concordia on Thursday. He said he sees in Mu Daiko a "real enthusiasm and a real willingness to explore and to listen."

And also a willingness to give all on stage. Weir said a good taiko show takes so much energy that, if they do it right, performers are only just able to drag themselves off stage afterward.