Yamatai (music)
Yamatai (邪馬台) is the first and only student group at Cornell University that is devoted to playing and spreading the art of taiko, a form of traditional Japanese drumming. They can be heard practicing late at night in Lincoln Hall and perform for several events on campus and in the northeast region of the United States.
Origin of the Name
The group's name comes from the name Yamataikoku, an ancient civilization in third century Japan. Ruled under a female shaman, Queen Himiko, Yamataikoku controlled over thirty civilizations in Japan. Yamataikoku is mentioned in several Chinese dynastic history books, but its precise location remains ambiguous.
Inspiration
Yamatai is heavily influenced by Masataka Kobayashi and his professional taiko group, Bonten.
Formerly an employee at a travel agency, Masataka Kobayashi opened a taiko drumming class to the public in 1994. He is the founder of Mirai Taiko Dojo, a taiko drumming institution that teaches taiko to people of all nationalities, ages, and interests. Today, he holds classes in Tokyo, Yokohama, and various other cities in the Kanto Plains, Japan.
Around 1999, Kobayashi-sensei steered his interests into creating a professional drumming team. In August 2000, Bonten held their debut performance. Bonten’s repertoire consists of original pieces that Kobayashi-sensei composes. Their musical and artistic excellence have reached the hearts of audiences in Japan and numerous foreign countries.
In the fall of 2006, he visited Cornell to help the founding members establish a taiko team. He brought taiko drums from Japan; he also helped the group make drumming sticks (bachi), stands, and taught a master class to the members of Yamatai. The group dedicated their debut performance to him on April 1, 2007 at the JUSA Culture Show. Today, he continues to assist Yamatai in both musical and organizational aspects, and provides the group with invaluable knowledge.
History
Formerly called Cornell Taiko, Yamatai was founded by a Cornell undergraduate, Haruki Yukawa, in September 2006. Starting with just one taiko drum, the group has come a long way, obtaining a total of seven drums by the beginning of their second semester and making a heart-pumping debut at the fourth annual JUSA Culture Show.
In November 2007, the group premiered their own concert in Goldwin Smith Hall entitled Yamatai: The Debut. Other performances since then have included ECAASU 2008: ReMix, JUSA's fifth annual culture show Tokyo Nights, and a guest performance at The Hangovers' spring concert in Sage Chapel. The group concluded their 2007-2008 school year with a second concert in Statler Hall on March 30, 2008 entitled Hibiki: The Resonance.
On March 6, 2009, Cornell University was privileged to have Bonten perform in Bailey Hall to an almost soldout audience of over 1,200 people. The last song of the night featured the 7 seniors of Yamatai who were there from the beginning, performing right beside the professional members of Bonten. That night was also the professional debut of Eva Kestner as a member of Bonten.
Yamatai recently concluded their 2009-2010 season, debuting several new members at their fall concert, Shinka: Evolution, and premiering a piece titled Raijin composed by the one of the group's own members at their spring concert, Raijin [God of Thunder].
Performances
Concerts
Yamatai has traditionally held two annual concerts since its founding, one in the fall semester and one in the spring semester. These have been held in various locations through the years, including Goldwin Smith Hall's Hollis E Cornell Auditorium, Statler Auditorium, and Bailey Hall.
Other Performances
Yamatai regularly engages smaller audiences throughout the year, including various charity events, local organizations, conferences, and other events both on and off campus. Recent venues have included Ithaca's Sciencenter, Binghamton University, and the Washington D.C.'s National Cherry Blossom Festival.
Repertoire
The group's performances feature a dynamic, visually striking display of the kumi-daiko style popularized by Daihachi Oguchi starting in the 1950s. Most of Yamatai's current pieces were written by Kobayashi-sensei. The song Kuzuryuu features the miyake style of taiko, a highly strenuous and stylized form of taiko featuring horizontally-placed drums, which originates in Miyakejima. Many songs make use of shinobue and keyboard, as well as other auxiliary percussion instruments. The current repertoire is as follows:
Pieces by Kobayashi-sensei
- Poseidon
- Gaifu (凱風)
- Haru (春)
- Fight
- Hiten
- Echo
- Hero
- Kuzuryuu (九頭龍)
- Wave
Yamatai Original Pieces
- Raijin (雷神)