Immerse yourself into the Japanese culture with the new drummers show Yamato – Passion which is running now at The Peacock Theatre until the end of the month.
Traditional and meditative at one moment and rock-star-like at the next, Yamato – Passion is the drumming show like no other. Expect to be immersed into Japanese culture with traditional music rhythms, blended with a modern take on drumming. Military marches, peaceful and hypnotic tunes, clear rock, and so much more are performed with wild energy and great humour.
Besides the music, the show is brought to life with comical interludes. Like clowns in a circus taking to the stage while the next act is in preparation, the musicians step onto the forestage between the acts to make some jokes with the audience, compete in easy drumming tricks with each other and make you enjoy each and every word in their hilarious interventions.
During the drumming acts, not only the music itself, but also movement, gestures, and lightning work all together to create the impressive show. Each step and each movement of the drummers is staged precisely so their performance reminds you more of a dance than of a classic orchestra concert. The audience clearly enjoys this theatricality. Solely these dramatic moments are enough to justify the choice of show’s title – Yamato – Passion.
If all this is not enough to convince you of the worthiness of this production, consider the range of drums and drumming techniques you will get a chance to see during the show. The biggest drum on the stage weights a half a tonne, and in the second part of the performance we see how the musicians use the strength of their whole bodies to play on the giant drums. The other instruments, used in the show, are also traditional Japanese artifacts: a kind of long-necked guitars called ‘shamisen’ and the small bronze cymbals called ‘chappa’ make the programme more varied.
Yamato – Passion is the show that makes each sell of your body vibrate in response – to the sound and to the emotions that come from the stage. Feel the energy, get the vibe and set into drumming the rhythms on your knee unconsciously with this dynamic extravaganza.
