Cultures and music genres blended into a refreshing evening as Asian Improv aRts Midwest (AIAM) and Tsukasa Taiko presented Reduction 10 and Taiko Legacy 21 at the Edlis Neeson Theater in the Museum of Contemporary Art this week. Taiko is a Japanese drum made from barrel, rope, and hide. Taiko is also the ritual playing of those drums in religious ceremonies, dance, and martial arts presentations.
The MCA is the perfect venue for melding cultures and honoring traditions with equity. On Saturday, December 14, AIAM celebrated ten years of the Reduction series. Director and multi-instrumentalist Tatsu Aoki brought in internationally and locally celebrated Afro-Futurist and improvisational jazz musicians. Flutist and composer Nicole Mitchell is known for her collaborations with the Black Earth Ensemble and tenure as chairwoman of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians. Percussionist Hamid Drake joined in with a didgeridoo and a clarinet with Drake's frequent collaborator Michael Zerang on Gretsch drum kit and bongos.
Shakuhachi (bamboo flute) artists Hyakkyo Fukuhara and Melody Takata joined the jazz musicians and Tsukasa Taiko in a powerful fusion of genres that have more in common than not. Fukuhara evoked the elements with her Shakuhachi, standing still, and Zen in a traditional kimono. In a Zen mode, Mitchell carried a solid groove with jazz and environmental flourishes on her traditional flute. Tatsu Aoki joined Mitchell on the standup bass for a duet and then went Hendrix-style with an electric Shamison, a three-stringed lute instrument. He used feedback like Hendrix at Woodstock. The audience cheered, hearing an instrument known for quieter entertainment.
Aoki explained that he came from an artistic background, having grown up in a Geisha house. He combined the arts learned by his mother and grandmother in Reduction. Shubukai dancers Yoshinojo Fujima and Ikunojo Fujima joined the group, telling a story with each nuanced movement. On Saturday, the dancers wore red eye makeup, suggesting Kabuki storytelling. Red is a sign of passion in love and conflict. In 2005, I covered Kabuki Lady Macbeth at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, where the doomed king's face was awash in red for the play's climax.
Drums have been played as messenger instruments for millennia. Taiko and African drumming have much in common in style and sound. Legacy and Reduction featured a "Hayama 1, 4, and 5" performance. This piece contained syncopated movements, beating the skin and edges of the taiko and using the bachi sticks. The lower body stance is similar to the Warrior's pose in yoga. It was most noticeable when two performers played giant taiko in traditional clothing. The beats are choreographed with specific arm positions and a straight face.
Like African drums used for communication, Taiko is also based on stories with aesthetics that provide visuals. The "Hayama" segments had a funky beat that would fit into an R&B groove like the O'Jays' "Living for the Weekend" from 1975. According to Tatsu Aoki, the Legacy 21 performance with Taiko and Shubukai dancers demonstrated a skill learned through mentoring.
Both performances were celebrating anniversaries. Aoki announced that it was the tenth anniversary of the Reduction collaboration. He also said Legacy 21 was old enough to drink adult beverages from the bar. Both performances were a spectacle of coordination, martial arts movement, and concentration to remember the difficult and complex Taiko sequences. The costumes were coordinated from the headbands to the carefully tied sashes on the loose fabric smocks. Jazz fit in perfectly with Taiko. It was a beautiful message of unity that is much needed now.
Aoki announced that Legacy and Reduction would return in 2025. I highly recommend adding it to your holiday calendar. AIAM and Tsukasa Taiko presented Legacy and Reduction on December 14 and 15 at the Edlis Neeson Theater in the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, 220 E Chicago Ave. For more information, please visit www.airmw.org, www.taikolegacy.com and www.mcachicago.org
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