SHIDARA

SHIDARA was founded in 1989 by artistic director, CHABO. With deep roots in their remote Japanese village, SHIDARA’s performance carries a purity and devotion to the forest, and a festival harmony between the human and spirit worlds. Members practice and train eleven hours a day. They exceed mental and physical limitations as a way of life, creating an explosive dynamism onstage.
Grand champions at the 2002 Tokyo 1st International Wadaiko Contest, and enjoying the stage with Grammy and Golden Award Winner KITARO in 2003, SHIDARA tours regularly throughout Japan and Korea, with acclaimed appearances in Norway, Sweden, the United States, Martinique, and Taipei.
Thunderous standing ovations at U.S. debut appearances, and ensuing popular demand from North American audiences led to the commencement of SHIDARA’s US Tours in 2006. SHIDARA first appeared as featured artists in the North America Taiko Conference Taiko Jam Concert in 2003, returning for a 4-week grass-roots tour in 2006. At that time,
SHIDARA showcased at the Western Arts Alliance Conference in Los Angeles, receiv- ing a standing ovation from the audience of presenters. This triumph led to a second showcase performance at the Association of Performing Artists Presenters Conference in Manhattan, New York, with the same resounding applause. Immediately following, the group launched a national workshop tour, later that year facilitating workshops and again performing as guest artists at the 2007 North American Taiko Conference in Seattle, Washington.
SHIDARA performed for sold-out audiences in their 6-week Western US Tour March 28th through May 5th, 2008 and are now booking a Midwesternl US Tour for 2010.
For more information visit: www.shidara.co.jp/eshidara and www.youtube.com/1shidara

What is the meaning of Shidara's name?

Shidara members chose the name at the conception of the group fifteen years ago. The three kanji in their name, or Japanese characters, have great meaning. 'Shi' is from the phrase "Kokorozashi", meaning 'a strong will to persevere at all costs'. 'Da' means 'big' or 'many'. 'Ra' means 'people'. Hence, Shidara is a group of people with great strong will to succeed and persevere.

April 4, 2008

Heart of the Immortal Mountain

A review by Robin Hartwick on Blogster
Last night a friend and I went to a fantastic show at the Laxson Auditorium in Chico. It was called "Shidara" and it was a performance by a total of 11 Japanese Taiko drummers. I have NEVER been so impressed by a show before. The power that was unleashed that evening was tremendous and absolutely jaw-dropping.
They opened with a piece called "Murasamenone", and for this song about half of the performers were seated in a line with what would be the equivalent of a snare drum placed in from of them. The sound and movement was excellent and mezmorizing. It was a good choice to start out with because it certainly got your attention and if you were not aware of what you were getting into, they did a good job of introducing themselves.
All of the songs they performed were marvelous but there was one in particular that I enjoyed the most. It was a mixture of artistry and comedy and the performer had the whole house laughing with him. Ryuichi Hasegawa performed a song called "Otodama", the bulletin describes it as this:
"There is a spirit and soul in sound. Our senses and emotions, passion and life exist in all sounds. Random sounds have little meaning, but if gathered and arranged, they become music."
The musical ability of Hasegawa was amazing but it was so pleasing to see he REALLY enjoy himself up on stage. It was a truly fun and enjoyable song to see.
The Whole show consisted of 8 songs, and the last song they performed included dance as well. It was called "Hana Matsuri" and was introduced to us as a traditional harvest festival for their village in Japan, and explained all the symbolism in the performance. This song was a lot of fun because the performers included the audience in the song and even brought a few member up on stage to dance and clap.
At the end of the evening my hands were red from clapping and my ears were slightly ringing, but there was a huge smile on my face. I loved the show and I would recommend it to anyone who gets the opportunity to see it.
--This review was found at robinhartwick.blogster.com/shidara
For more reviews of Shidara on Blogster visit:
tmstudent.blogster.com/shidara-experience
pan_of_hwo.blogster.com/shidara
bmesker.blogster.com
nickelcolie.blogster.com
rachelkinner.blogster.com/shidara

March 28, 2008

To the Mountaintop with Shidara at Cerritos

A Review By Glen Creason
Entertainment Staff writer for the Los Cerritos Community News
The Taiko group Shidara visited the Performing Arts Center on Friday and brought with them an entire region of Japanese history and folklore. Their show “Heart of the Immortal Mountain” is an attempt to preserve these ancient traditions of the bucolic region of Okumikawa with music, dance and the thunder of taiko, one of the most powerful musical forms on earth. They hail from the rural climes of Toei where they live and train together in complete dedication to this art.
Shidara loosely translated means a group of people with a strong will to succeed and persevere. This they did and more at this weekend show with passion and intensity hard to match in other genres. The creative force behind the group is a woman named Chabo who composes much of the music, is the artistic director and performer. This is not music to be taken lightly and it requires complete dedication and exhausting rehearsal and preparation.
The packed house at the Center met each segment with encouragement and great appreciation that drove the musicians to greater heights which sometimes seems impossible when all the drums are working together, the eleven musicians playing as one, all 3,000 pounds of percussion on stage at once.
The riveting “Murasamenone” opened the show with just two joyful ladies played small drums (shime-daiko) creating the sound of heavy rain in the forest. Many of the pieces mirrored states of nature with an underlying philosophical commentary connecting man to nature. This was especially evident in the fascinating “Kazenomichi” which followed the wind through grass and trees but suggested the quest of mankind making choices and following roads not taken. It began with just two flutes and built into a huge, percussive wave that engulfed the audience in contemplative, then elevated pulses. “Niebuchi” finished the first half with a truly grand finish, every drum driving in astounding synchronicity, starting like drops of water turning into a rushing river of sound that might uproot boulders along the river bed.
The second half alternated between these thoughtful pieces like “Koganenokaze” with the three “shakuhachi” flutes playing a haunting melody, conjuring up the fields ripe for harvest resting and waving in the gentle breeze and the wildly energetic “Hono Kuni” which brought into play the magnificent “odaiko” drum which booms a bass foundation that reverberates through the entire piece and auditorium. “Tonbi” had a completely mesmerizing sound following a hawk’s circles in the wind, riding around the concert hall on sonic path that was almost visual in its execution. The flute became the hawk’s path and the six drums in pristine harmony formed an entire sky of sound. The following “Hono Kuni” left the already fevered audience in a state of taiko-awe which continued for the final piece “Hana Matsuri” which recreated the harvest festival of their region and brought scores of delighted concert-goers up onto the stage for dances, drumming and wide smiles of taiko-joy.
Shidara had indeed, brought the heart of he Immortal Mountain to a hall in Southern California as several thousand Americans stepped the light fantastic for a Japanese harvest in Toei.
--This review was found on CerritosInk: Reviews of shows from the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts published by the Los Cerritos Community News.