Musical Investigation - Taiko Drumming vs Burundi Drumming
Taiko Drumming Taiko, in general, are stick percussion instruments. With the exception of the kotsuzumi and ootsuzumi, all taiko are struck with bachi. They have heads on both sides of the drum body, and a sealed resonating cavity. Taiko are also characterized by a high amount of tension on the drums heads, with a correspondingly high pitch relative to body size. Many taiko are not tunable. You would expect to find this style of music held in the castles and shrines across ancient Japan. The continental music came to Japan around 5th - 6th century along with the waves of Chinese and Korean cultural influence based on Buddhism. When the Taiho Ritsuryo, the oldest constitution of Japan, was enacted in 702, a department of the imperial court music was established in the Imperial Palace.
Two types of Taiko
Byou-uchi daiko
Tsukushime-daiko
Have heads nailed to the body hollowed out of a single piece of wood
Byou-uchi daiko cannot be tuned
long-body taiko
have heads sewn onto iron rings, which are then laced to each other around the drum body.
Jiuchi, is a basic rhythm used to support the main rhythm, or the O-uchi. It can also be described as the meter or feel of a piece (being in a straight duple meter or having a swing feel). Some of the more common rhythms for ji are don doko, don ko, or dongo (swing pattern). A Jikata is a performer who plays the ji rhythm.
Modern taiko is recognized as having been established in 1951 by Daihachi Oguchi. He is credited with forming the first actual Taiko ensemble referred to as kumi-daiko. "Kumi-daiko" literally means a taiko ensemble that consists of various taikos. Surprisingly, the Kumi-daiko style was invented in 1950's by single person although taiko itself has a long history. Daihachi Oguchi, the founder of Osuwa Daiko, created the Kumi-Daiko style in 1951. by a western drum set, he formed a group in which each player beats a different taiko; in short, he gave the group a function as a drum set. A high-pitched Shime-daiko established a basic rhythm like a snare drum does. A growling Nagado-daiko added accents like a bass drum. His intention was right to the point, and this epoch-making invention changed the taiko music forever.
BurundiDrumming
Drums made from hollowed tree trunks covered with animal skins. In addition to the central drum, called Inkiranya, there are Amashako drums which provide a continuous beat, and Ibishikiso drums, which follow the rhythm established by the Inkiranya.
Since ancient times in Burundi, drumming has been associated with the court. A group of drummers would be allotted to the king, following him on his travels and performing in festivals where he was in attendance. Today, the drummers continue to perform at festivals and represent one of the strongest elements of musical tradition in the country.
In ancient Burundi, drums were much more than simple musical instruments. As sacred objects, reserved solely for ritualists, they were only played under exceptional circumstances and then always for ritual purposes: the major events of the country were heralded by their beating - coronations, sovereigns' funerals - and, in the joy and fervour of all Burundians, they kept rhythm with the regular cycle of the seasons which ensured the prosperity of the herds and fields.
Musical Investigation - Taiko Drumming vs Burundi Drumming
Taiko Drumming
Taiko, in general, are stick percussion instruments. With the exception of the kotsuzumi and ootsuzumi, all taiko are struck with bachi. They have heads on both sides of the drum body, and a sealed resonating cavity. Taiko are also characterized by a high amount of tension on the drums heads, with a correspondingly high pitch relative to body size. Many taiko are not tunable. You would expect to find this style of music held in the castles and shrines across ancient Japan. The continental music came to Japan around 5th - 6th century along with the waves of Chinese and Korean cultural influence based on Buddhism. When the Taiho Ritsuryo, the oldest constitution of Japan, was enacted in 702, a department of the imperial court music was established in the Imperial Palace.
Two types of Taiko
Have heads nailed to the body
hollowed out of a single piece of wood
Byou-uchi daiko cannot be tuned
long-body taiko
have heads sewn onto iron rings, which are then laced to each other around the drum body.
Jiuchi, is a basic rhythm used to support the main rhythm, or the O-uchi. It can also be described as the meter or feel of a piece (being in a straight duple meter or having a swing feel). Some of the more common rhythms for ji are don doko, don ko, or don go (swing pattern). A Jikata is a performer who plays the ji rhythm.
Modern taiko is recognized as having been established in 1951 by Daihachi Oguchi. He is credited with forming the first actual Taiko ensemble referred to as kumi-daiko. "Kumi-daiko" literally means a taiko ensemble that consists of various taikos. Surprisingly, the Kumi-daiko style was invented in 1950's by single person although taiko itself has a long history. Daihachi Oguchi, the founder of Osuwa Daiko, created the Kumi-Daiko style in 1951. by a western drum set, he formed a group in which each player beats a different taiko; in short, he gave the group a function as a drum set. A high-pitched Shime-daiko established a basic rhythm like a snare drum does. A growling Nagado-daiko added accents like a bass drum. His intention was right to the point, and this epoch-making invention changed the taiko music forever.
Burundi Drumming
Drums made from hollowed tree trunks covered with animal skins. In addition to the central drum, called Inkiranya, there are Amashako drums which provide a continuous beat, and Ibishikiso drums, which follow the rhythm established by the Inkiranya.
Since ancient times in Burundi, drumming has been associated with the court. A group of drummers would be allotted to the king, following him on his travels and performing in festivals where he was in attendance. Today, the drummers continue to perform at festivals and represent one of the strongest elements of musical tradition in the country.
In ancient Burundi, drums were much more than simple musical instruments. As sacred objects, reserved solely for ritualists, they were only played under exceptional circumstances and then always for ritual purposes: the major events of the country were heralded by their beating - coronations, sovereigns' funerals - and, in the joy and fervour of all Burundians, they kept rhythm with the regular cycle of the seasons which ensured the prosperity of the herds and fields.
Royal Drummers of Burundi