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Tuesday, July 29, 2014

~ Hibiki IV - Where Modern Meets Traditional Music ~

Media Invite: While I always enjoy going for cultural events and musical shows, I was a bit worried if Hubby and the children will share the same enthusiasm and interest. Particularly when the entire performance is going to last for 2.5 hours.



The drum extravaganza - Hibiki IV,an annual performance in its 4th year running, proofs my worries were totally uncalled for as the performance put up by Hibikiya (Singapore-based music studio) was so captivating that we were awed by the performers that evening.


The show began with a series of welcoming drum items performed by Hibikiya. Not only was the thumping of the drums astounding. it was also visually entertaining. Smiles were on the faces of every individual and we can feel that they take pride, have the passion and joy in every single beat.

Namiko Sakai, founder of Hibikiya has devoted her passion towards promoting Japanese culture in Singapore. Apart from Taiko (Japanese Drums), Shinobue (Japanese bamboo flute) and Shamisen (Japanese 3 stringed instruments) were also showcased in the performance.


The show just gets better and better with Hiro Hayashida. pioneer in the Taiko world and one of the most popular Wadaiko players in Japan performing for us. Our hearts were filled with deepest respect as we watched him holding on to the stick and hammering the drum at a super fast yet rhythmic pace.

Bunta Sato, master in Shinobue, plays excellently on the flute. His musical piece brings me peace and comfort. Together with Hiro Hayashida, they put up yet another perfect piece for the audience.

T.E.A.M, lead by Hiro Hayashida, is a group of talented young Taiko drummers who have been selected from all over Japan to form the "Super Taiko Junior". Whenever they are on stage, it is filled with lots of energy and applause. All of them looked smart and cool which explains why they have a group of supporters within the audience. :)

When ZingO Festival Drum Group took the stage, I was not aware that it is a Singaporean performing arts group! A prominent leader in the local Chinese Drum scene, ZingO puts up an astonishing drum performance combined with martial arts-style choreography which is totally Awesome! It was synchronized, visually impressive and my heart was lifted up after learning that this item was professionally delivered by our local talents.



The performance overran by half an hour but there are no complains among the audience. Everyone was so immersed by the performance and loving it so much that the audience even called for encore!

We were truly impressed with the diversity in each item. Throughout the performance, there is no score and no conductor. Everyone knew exactly what and when to play, The entire ensemble felt like it was in their hearts and mind. Hibiki IV has opened our sight and view of Japanese Drums. It was an eye-opener and experience for us.

After the show, Gladys even voiced her interest in playing the drums! Currently, Hibikiya conducts workshops and classes. For more information, visit their website.

HIBIKIYA Pte Ltd (響屋)
Address: 63 Jalan Pemimpin, #01-02, Pemimpin Industrial Building, Singapore 577219
Website: http://www.hibikiya.com.sg/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/hibikiya.sg

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Thank you for liking our performance. Photo can be found at https://www.facebook.com/zingo.drum.fans and we do conduct drum workshops. Thanks again.

Phoebe said...

Hi Roch,

It was an honour meeting you and we learned so much more about the Zingo Drums. Thanks for posting and we hope to see more of such performances in the future! All the Best!

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