Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers: 24 Oct 08

Us residents of South Cambs get a bit sniffy when we look over the border at Suffolk  and Haverhill might as well be on the moon for all the attention we’d normally give it. OK residents of Haverhill might work in Cambridge but why would we ever go there? That’s sad because there really is a very good arts centre in Haverhill which puts on some very interesting shows.

The Haverhill Arts Centre used to be the town hall and is now a 210 seat theatre with associated cafe and bar facilities. It really is smashing. It’s intimate, service in the bar is quick and easy and prices are about a half of what you’d pay in Cambridge. Wife and I have been several times and it’s to be recommended.

This Friday we went to see the Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers. Taiko drumming is Japanese and is drumming writ large. It’s pulsating, riveting and very exciting. OK with the Mugenkyo you have to suspend belief a tad when you see the leader who’s a rocker from Bristol, a co-founder who’s half Japanese and called Williams and 3 Scots. And not to mention an exotic dancer with Turkish roots!

But good they were. It must be tremendously hard work but the sight of all 5 drummers beating away with 3 of them sharing 4 drums and working at speed was exhilarating. And the exotic dancer, Lale Sayoko, danced Japanese style and rounded off with a belly dance to the traditional Taiko rhythm. A super example of artistic fusion and proof that quality always fits with quality.

We’d seen Mugenkyo 3 or 4 years ago and might be worried that once we’d seen one Taiko concert we’d seen them all but that was not the case. There was enough new, with contemporary Taiko rhythms alongside the traditional ones, to make tit well worth the visit. And of course there was Lale.

As the lead of Mugenkyo said it was almost certainly the world’s first performance of belly dancing to a Taiko rhythm!