Yamatai
Encyclopedia
Yamatai is the first and only student group at Cornell University
that is devoted to playing and spreading the art of taiko
, a form of traditional Japanese drumming. They can be heard practicing late at night in Lincoln Hall and perform for several events on campus and in the northeast region of the United States.
, an ancient civilization in third century Japan
. Ruled under a female shaman, Queen Himiko
, Yamataikoku controlled over thirty civilizations in Japan. Yamataikoku is mentioned in several Chinese
dynastic history books, but its precise location remains ambiguous.
Formerly an employee at a travel agency, Masataka Kobayashi opened a taiko drumming class to the public in 1994. He is the founder of Mirai Taiko Dojo, a taiko drumming institution that teaches taiko to people of all nationalities, ages, and interests. Today, he holds classes in Tokyo
, Yokohama
, and various other cities in the Kanto Plains, Japan.
Around 1999, Kobayashi-sensei
steered his interests into creating a professional drumming team. In August 2000, Bonten held their debut performance. Bonten’s repertoire consists of original pieces that Kobayashi-sensei composes. Their musical and artistic excellence have reached the hearts of audiences in Japan and numerous foreign countries.
In the fall of 2006, he visited Cornell to help the founding members establish a taiko team. He brought taiko drums from Japan; he also helped the group make drumming sticks (bachi
), stands, and taught a master class to the members of Yamatai. The group dedicated their debut performance to him on April 1, 2007 at the JUSA Culture Show. Today, he continues to assist Yamatai in both musical and organizational aspects, and provides the group with invaluable knowledge.
, the group has come a long way, obtaining a total of seven drums by the beginning of their second semester and making a heart-pumping debut at the fourth annual JUSA Culture Show.
In November 2007, the group premiered their own concert in Goldwin Smith
Hall entitled Yamatai: The Debut. Other performances since then have included ECAASU 2008: ReMix, JUSA's fifth annual culture show Tokyo Nights, and a guest performance at The Hangovers
' spring concert in Sage Chapel
. The group concluded their 2007-2008 school year with a second concert in Statler Hall on March 30, 2008 entitled Hibiki: The Resonance.
On March 6, 2009, Cornell University was privileged to have Bonten perform in Bailey Hall to an almost soldout audience of over 1,200 people. The last song of the night featured the 7 seniors of Yamatai who were there from the beginning, performing right beside the professional members of Bonten. That night was also the professional debut of Eva Kestner as a member of Bonten.
Yamatai recently concluded their 2009-2010 season, debuting several new members at their fall concert, Shinka: Evolution, and premiering a piece titled Raijin
composed by one of the group's own members at their spring concert, Raijin [God of Thunder].
, Binghamton University
, and the Washington D.C.'s National Cherry Blossom Festival
.
starting in the 1950s. Most of Yamatai's current pieces were written by Kobayashi-sensei. The song Kuzuryuu features the miyake style of taiko, a highly strenuous and stylized form of taiko featuring horizontally-placed drums, which originates in Miyakejima
. Many songs make use of shinobue
and keyboard
, as well as other auxiliary percussion instruments. The current repertoire is as follows:
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
that is devoted to playing and spreading the art of taiko
Taiko
means "drum" in Japanese . Outside Japan, the word is often used to refer to any of the various Japanese drums and to the relatively recent art-form of ensemble taiko drumming...
, a form of traditional Japanese drumming. They can be heard practicing late at night in Lincoln Hall and perform for several events on campus and in the northeast region of the United States.
Origin of the Name
The group's name comes from the name YamataikokuYamataikoku
or is the Sino-Japanese name of an ancient country in Wa during the late Yayoi period . The Chinese history Sanguo Zhi first recorded Yemetaiguo or Yemayiguo as the domain of shaman Queen Himiko...
, an ancient civilization in third century Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Ruled under a female shaman, Queen Himiko
Himiko
Himiko or Pimiko was an obscure shaman queen of Yamataikoku in ancient Wa . Early Chinese dynastic histories chronicle tributary relations between Queen Himiko and the Cao Wei Kingdom , and record that the Yayoi period people chose her as ruler following decades of warfare among the kings of Wa...
, Yamataikoku controlled over thirty civilizations in Japan. Yamataikoku is mentioned in several Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
dynastic history books, but its precise location remains ambiguous.
Inspiration
Yamatai is heavily influenced by Masataka Kobayashi and his professional taiko group, Bonten.Formerly an employee at a travel agency, Masataka Kobayashi opened a taiko drumming class to the public in 1994. He is the founder of Mirai Taiko Dojo, a taiko drumming institution that teaches taiko to people of all nationalities, ages, and interests. Today, he holds classes in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, and various other cities in the Kanto Plains, Japan.
Around 1999, Kobayashi-sensei
Sensei
' is a Japanese word that basically means "person born before another." In general usage, it means "master" or "teacher," and the word is used as a title to refer to or address teachers, professors, professionals such as lawyers, CPA and doctors, politicians, clergymen, and other figures of authority...
steered his interests into creating a professional drumming team. In August 2000, Bonten held their debut performance. Bonten’s repertoire consists of original pieces that Kobayashi-sensei composes. Their musical and artistic excellence have reached the hearts of audiences in Japan and numerous foreign countries.
In the fall of 2006, he visited Cornell to help the founding members establish a taiko team. He brought taiko drums from Japan; he also helped the group make drumming sticks (bachi
Bachi
Bachi is the name for the straight, wooden sticks used to play Japanese taiko drums, and also the plectrum for stringed instruments like the shamisen and biwa....
), stands, and taught a master class to the members of Yamatai. The group dedicated their debut performance to him on April 1, 2007 at the JUSA Culture Show. Today, he continues to assist Yamatai in both musical and organizational aspects, and provides the group with invaluable knowledge.
History
Formerly called Cornell Taiko, Yamatai was founded by a Cornell undergraduate, Haruki Yukawa, in September 2006. Starting with just one taiko drumDrum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
, the group has come a long way, obtaining a total of seven drums by the beginning of their second semester and making a heart-pumping debut at the fourth annual JUSA Culture Show.
In November 2007, the group premiered their own concert in Goldwin Smith
Goldwin Smith
Goldwin Smith was a British-Canadian historian and journalist.- Early years :He was born at Reading, Berkshire. He was educated at Eton College and Magdalen College, Oxford, and after a brilliant undergraduate career he was elected to a fellowship at University College, Oxford...
Hall entitled Yamatai: The Debut. Other performances since then have included ECAASU 2008: ReMix, JUSA's fifth annual culture show Tokyo Nights, and a guest performance at The Hangovers
The Hangovers
The Hangovers are a subset of the Cornell University Glee Club, the oldest student organization at Cornell University, and were themselves founded in 1968. The Hangovers' repertoire consists mainly of popular songs arranged for a cappella by members and alumni of the group, but they also perform...
' spring concert in Sage Chapel
Sage Chapel
Sage Chapel is the non-denominational chapel on the campus of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York State and serves as the final resting place of the university's founders, Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, and their wives...
. The group concluded their 2007-2008 school year with a second concert in Statler Hall on March 30, 2008 entitled Hibiki: The Resonance.
On March 6, 2009, Cornell University was privileged to have Bonten perform in Bailey Hall to an almost soldout audience of over 1,200 people. The last song of the night featured the 7 seniors of Yamatai who were there from the beginning, performing right beside the professional members of Bonten. That night was also the professional debut of Eva Kestner as a member of Bonten.
Yamatai recently concluded their 2009-2010 season, debuting several new members at their fall concert, Shinka: Evolution, and premiering a piece titled Raijin
Raijin
is a god of lightning, thunder and storms in the Shinto religion and in Japanese mythology.His name is derived from the Japanese words rai and shin . He is typically depicted as a demon beating drums to create thunder, usually with the symbol tomoe drawn on the drums...
composed by one of the group's own members at their spring concert, Raijin [God of Thunder].
Concerts
Yamatai has traditionally held two annual concerts since its founding, one in the fall semester and one in the spring semester. These have been held in various locations through the years, including Goldwin Smith Hall's Hollis E Cornell Auditorium, Statler Auditorium, and Bailey Hall.Other Performances
Yamatai regularly engages smaller audiences throughout the year, including various charity events, local organizations, conferences, and other events both on and off campus. Recent venues have included Ithaca's SciencenterSciencenter
Sciencenter is a hands-on science museum in Ithaca, New York. It was founded on February 28, 1983 as a 501 not-for-profit educational organization. The Sciencenter grew out of the volunteer-run hands-on science program run for 15 years at several elementary schools in the Ithaca City School District...
, Binghamton University
Binghamton University
Binghamton University, also formally called State University of New York at Binghamton, , is a public research university in the State of New York. The University is one of the four university centers in the State University of New York system...
, and the Washington D.C.'s National Cherry Blossom Festival
National Cherry Blossom Festival
The National Cherry Blossom Festival is a spring celebration in Washington, D.C., commemorating the March 27, 1912, gift of Japanese cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo to the city of Washington...
.
Repertoire
The group's performances feature a dynamic, visually striking display of the kumi-daiko style popularized by Daihachi OguchiDaihachi Oguchi
was a Japanese drummer best known for popularizing taiko.Master Japanese drummer Daihachi Oguchi is credited with inventing kumi-daiko, the taiko ensemble, in 1951...
starting in the 1950s. Most of Yamatai's current pieces were written by Kobayashi-sensei. The song Kuzuryuu features the miyake style of taiko, a highly strenuous and stylized form of taiko featuring horizontally-placed drums, which originates in Miyakejima
Miyakejima
is an island in the Izu group, southeast of Honshū, Japan, administered by the Tokyo Metropolitan government, with an area of 55.50 km². The island, 180 km south of Tokyo, is located at 34.5N and 139.34E. As of January 1, 2006, the population of the island is 2884...
. Many songs make use of shinobue
Shinobue
The shinobue is a Japanese transverse flute or fue that has a high-pitched sound. It is found in hayashi and nagauta ensembles, and plays important roles in noh and kabuki theatre music. It is heard in Shinto music such as kagura-den and in traditional Japanese folk songs...
and keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, as well as other auxiliary percussion instruments. The current repertoire is as follows:
Pieces by Kobayashi-sensei
- Poseidon
- Gaifu (凱風)
- Haru (春)
- Fight
- Hiten
- Echo
- Hero
- Kuzuryuu (九頭龍)
- Wave