Friday, July 25, 2008

Power of Drum

Fuji Rock 2008: Part 4
Drum Circle


My friend and I have adjourned to a fine bar near The Stone Circle. It‘s a kinda hippy-dippy ethnic ragmuffin hangout and suits us just fine. It’s now 4.40PM and I’ve consumed one Red Bull and vodka plus two beers and it feels like things are…uh…starting to…happen.

The drum tent is next door and, as my companion points out, the power of drum is illustrated by the fact that forty people who don’t know what they are doing can produce fantastic rhythms when are being led by two or three folks who know the ropes.

An enthusiastic Japanese lady in red conducts the drum circle with the greatest of skill, and her pick-up orchestra are havin' a ball.

It suddenly occurs to me that I’m seeing my Japanese brothers and sisters in a new light. Their response to their own improvised musical rhythms makes them seem more alive and carefree than I see them in their daily lives - unencumbered by all the worries and strains of Japan’s hyperactive modernity.

2 comments:

Edward J. Taylor said...

The irony here is that the more impromptu drum circles are where we see the renowned Japanese 'Wa" break down. Each drummer is doing is own thing, to the point where no one is truly playing together. Bizarre...

Shiffi Le Soy said...

Thanx for your comment Mr Internationalizer. Could you say a bit more about that? Sounds intriguing!