Rise up for stars of Japan

The heart-thumping rhythm and explosive sounds of Yamato — The Drummers of Japan will storm Albany next month for the first time as 14 Japanese musicians bring their high-energy show to the city.

Heading to the Albany Entertainment Centre with their new show, Passion, the drummers will push themselves to the limit using drums that weigh up to half a tonne.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the group, which has played in more than 54 countries around the world, showing remarkable physical strength in their interpretation of the Taiko tradition.

Yamato’s Gen Hidaka described the show as a world never seen before and music never heard before, awakening the senses of the human body.

“With the energy of Yamato drummers, the vibration will resonate in your body,” she said.

“YouTube cannot tell you this sort of thing and Spotify cannot explain it to you, you need to come and experience it yourself.

“You will see what ‘life’ is throughout the show — all the joy, sadness, anger and happiness as we share everything.”

The drummers train every day to perform.

They run 10km, have two hours of physical training and practise for hours in the afternoon.

Hidaka said Taiko came to Japan from China or Korea and had been developed in Japan since then. “Today, Taiko is also used to entertain the people at festivals or theatres,” she said.

“It is said that there are more than 10,000 Taiko groups in Japan, from amateurs to professionals. Yamato is the most popular Taiko group in the world that makes the most shows all over the world.”

The drummers will perform at Albany Entertainment Centre on Thursday, September 12 at 7.30pm.

Tickets are available from ptt.wa.gov.au or at the box office.