THE Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers are joining forces with a flautist.
The Drummers return to Square Chapel Centre for the Arts on Friday, September 9.
This year they have invited a special guest, Nobuko Miyazaki, a renowned flute and shinobue player, to join them.
The visit to Halifax is part of the company’s UK tour of their full concert of powerful taiko rhythms, huge drums, dramatic choreography, haunting bamboo flute and playful percussion, presented in a theatrical stage show.
Co-founding member Neil Mackie trained in Japan for two years in the early Nineties, during which time he also studied the philosophy and the way of thinking behind the art of Wadaiko.
“The training was hard,” said Neil.
“I had to practice on my cardboard drum. I wasn’t allowed a real one until I could prove I’d mastered the techniques."
He said: “Taiko appeals to absolutely everyone, and cuts across every musical boundary.
“Mugenkyo perform at every kind of music festival and wherever we’ve played we’ve found it’s always popular amongst audiences.
“We draw from a wide age range – from young clubbers to parents with their children, to middle aged concert-goers, to old-age pensioners.
“As they say in Japan, Taiko really is the music of the people.”
See them at the Square Chapel, Friday, September 9 at 8pm.
Tickets are £17 and £15 from the Box Office on 01422 349422 or at www.squarechapel.co.uk.
