Uzume Taiko brings raw energy to Intimate Portraits’ virtual-concert series
The Vancouver taiko-drumming ensemble collaborates with Silk Road Music, Lorita Leung Dance Company, and others to celebrate Asian Heritage Month
Uzume Taiko and Silk Road Music collaborate in the May 29 edition of Intimate Portraits, a series of virtual concerts.
Uzume Taiko presents Uzume Taiko & Friends: Intimate Portraits’ premiere virtual concert Event 2 featuring Uzume Taiko, Silk Road Music, Lorita Leung Dance Company, and Vancouver Contemporary Chinese Dance Company on May 29, streaming on YouTube. A live artist chat follows the show via Zoom. Event 3 (Uzume Taiko, Tetsu Taiko, and Uzume Taiko Community Players) takes place July 10.
BONNIE SOON FIRST discovered taiko drumming as an audience member during a performance at the Museum of Anthropology several years ago. The power of the art form spoke straight to her heart and changed her life; then a modern dancer, she went on to become artistic director of Vancouver’s Uzume Taiko, Canada’s first professional taiko ensemble.
“The visceral energy and virile performance style attracted me to the art form,” Soon tells Stir. “As a third-generation Canadian-Chinese brought up to assimilate and not stick out, seeing Asians express themselves in a manner that was totally explosive and freeing was mesmerizing.
“When I am taiko drumming, time passes quickly and I forget about problems,” she says. “I find peace in drumming. It is an ongoing pursuit to train my body to perform the choreography and develop musicianship skills. The process is rewarding when I notice that personal growth is still possible.”
Uzume Taiko is now collaborating with other local Asian performing-arts organizations for a series of online concerts in celebration of Asian Heritage Month.
The premiere screening of Uzume Taiko & Friends: Intimate Portraits’ Event 2 takes place May 29 with Silk Road Music, the Lorita Leung Dance Company, and Vancouver Contemporary Chinese Dance Co.
Event 3 features Uzume Taiko, Tetsu Taiko, and Uzume Taiko Community Players; originally planned for May 15, has been rescheduled to July 10 due to recent COVID-19 restrictions. The series kicked off earlier this month with a performance by Uzume Taiko and Orchid Ensemble.
Each 60-minute virtual concert captures the artists up close and personal. They rehearsed in their bubbles then came together briefly and safely for specially filmed performances in the intimate Taiko Studio.
The series came about following Uzume Taiko’s pandemic pivot, the group wanting to foster togetherness, creativity, and collaboration amid so much isolation. Besides putting an end to live performances and community workshops, last year’s lockdown also meant the cancellation of the ensemble’s planned tour. Uzume Taiko livestreamed the pieces for it immediately while everything was still fresh; the team developed other virtual performances, online community events, Zoom classes, and an online taiko drumming workshop program for schools. Soon and Uzume Taiko musical director Jason Overy wrote “Taiko Drumming Basics”, a 30-page book documenting their pedagogy developed over 20 years of teaching the form and produced short video tutorials to support all the exercises.
Lorita Leung Dance Company performs on May 29 in Uzume Taiko & Friends: Intimate Portraits Event 2.
While a world away from anything the ensemble had ever taken on before, the digital realm presented opportunities that the artists wanted to seize upon.
“The [Intimate Portraits] project was meant to stimulate artists and offer a collaboration opportunity that would inspire artists during the pandemic,” Soon says. “I wanted to utilize our resourceful studio environment during the pandemic as much as possible. Since we had transitioned to offering virtual online performances from the Taiko Studio during the summer and fall, I originally planned for three livestream performances during the winter months. COVID restrictions delayed our schedule and we changed plans to offer pre-recorded online events instead of livestream performances so fewer people would work in the studio at one time to maintain safety guidelines. The goal was to deliver short 60-minute programs of varied work that showcased each company as well as challenge the artists to collaborate during COVID times when there would be very little in-person rehearsal time together.
“Uzume Taiko had collaborated with the Orchid Ensemble in 2002 and more recently with Silk Road Music and the Lorita Leung Dance Company,” she adds. “Our past collaboration experiences gave us confidence that we would be successful in presenting our work during these challenging times.”
Chengxin Wei has been producing short dance videos during the pandemic supported by Dances for a Small Stage; he contributes two new dance videos to the project. Cinematographer Adam PW Smith and audio producer Marc L’Esperance, meanwhile, are integral to the online shows’ execution, Soon notes. (Uzume Taiko also comprises members Boyd Seiichi Grealy, Naomi Kajiwara, Jordy Riley, and Ed Arteaga.)
The Uzume Taiko members have become accustomed to working for the camera rather than a live audience. With Intimate Portraits, however, they’re aiming for the same energy that an in-person performance would offer.
“We retained the live feel of the event, choosing not to dive into lots of takes and editing to produce a perfect performance, but instead to maintain as much of the feel of a live concert as possible,” Soon says. “We wanted to capture the musicians playing more with heart than with head.
“The members of Uzume Taiko, the Orchid Ensemble, and Silk Road Music and Chengxin Wei are seasoned artists who have weathered the many ups and downs that go along with working in the arts,” she says. “We are amazed and overwhelmed by the talent we are surrounded by and it is heartwarming to see everyone shine in this project.”
For more information, visit Uzume Taiko.
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