Tenmei

Tenmei opens with the striking of a wadaiko drum, weighing in at half a tonne with a two-metre diameter, made from a single piece of wood from a tree that lives to 400 years old. The rhythmic sound of the drum, like a heartbeat, is ‘the pulse of life itself and the epitome of the Japanese spirit’, claims Masa Ogawa, founder and art director of Yamato. So, we are in Japan. A sonorous and visual Japan that is deeply connected to the culture of percussion culture, which is what this company originating from the Japanese prefecture of Nara has been devoted to for over three decades. Today, it is based in the town of Asuka, considered the birthplace of Japanese culture.

A few numbers will help us fully understand the impact of Yamato’s artistic endeavours: it has acted in 54 countries and done 4000 shows for nearly eight million people. It travels with some 40 taiko drums, created from animal skins and ancient tree trunks, whose weights range from 10 to 500 kilos, which the performers handle with great agility and skill, thanks to their daily strength training sessions. Concentrated in Asuka, they create their own music and theatre compositions, and even produce their own bachi sticks, used to play traditional Japanese instruments. Although it is totally committed to preserving and respecting the taiko tradition, Yamato broke free from one aspect of this tradition, by including women in the company, which was once prohibited.

Its latest production, Tenmei, which is being presented at the Madrid Autumn Festival, alludes to the definition of this term – tenmei – which could be translated as ‘at 50 years old I found out God’s will’, although it also broadly means destiny or heaven’s decree. The pandemic, which erupted in the midst of the creative process of the show, transformed the original meaning that Masa Ogawa had intended.

He once thought of fate as the ability to decide for oneself, although the worldwide repercussions of the healthcare catastrophe made him realise that ‘there are things beyond our power and my control. I believe we must do everything possible to create our destinies and then wait for this destiny to arrive.’ With their indomitable energy, the Yamato drummers create a frenzied and wild performance replete with humour and great musical variety.