NEWS PAPER
ADELAIDE . AUSTRALIA
The Advartiser, Freiday, March 8, 1996
By DAVID SFY
The pounding of the glant drums shakes your
soul to life. Coupled with fireworks exploding
in syncopation with the rhythm, the team
of 11 drummers from the Japanese village
of Ota set in full flight against the freight-yard
clutter of Red Square and a balmy full moon
was a truly evocative scenario. It didn't
matter that the performance was essentially
cerebral in nature: a methodical and highly
disciplined series of routines built around
swelling dynamics and enduring intensity.
It was the heady spirit of the drummers which
made the occasion so powerful. They seemed
fuelled by a motivation far greater than
the euphoria of performance - a sense of
pride in representing their famous drumming
village, in continuing the rich history,
of playing the centuries-old drums.
Curiously, their commitment to traditional
drumming patterns was augmented in places
by flute and string washes from a synthesiser.
Still, such musical decoration never detracted
from speed and agllity of the drumming through
taxing 10-minute pieces, presented as ensemble
works and duo pieces. When it was done, they
tripped from the arena giddy with exhaustion,
spent from their efforts of concentration
and commitment. It proved that the intensity
of their performance is as much a product
of the mind as it is of the hands.
The Advartiser, Wensday, March 6, 1996
Thousands miss out on late scene
By CHLOE FOX
An impromptu Latin fiesta exploded on Monday
night in the Red Square, after 2500 spectators
went beserk over Tito Puente's magnificent
performance with the Taiko Drummers of Ota
People danced in their chairs on their chairs,
around their chairs and anywhere they could
as Tito drummed them into passionate ecstasy.
Backstage, artist jostled for a glimpse of
the Latin/Japanese fusion combo. The oyerall
result? An upsurge of people rose into a
spontaneous, screaming, crying standing ovation
for the 73-year-old and his Japanese colleagues
Pity the poor people outside, however. As
the weather grew warmer the queues were lengthening
outside the mega-park of entertainment, and
tempers were getting shorter as entrance
was refused to more than 7500 hopeful viewefs.
The security people are treating Red Square
punters llike deranged Take That fans,
The Advartiser, Tuesday, March 5, 1996
Night spot knocks city socks off
By CHLOE FOX
Once upon a time Sunday night in Adelaide
meant going to bed early with a pair of bedsocks
and devotional verse. No longer. Crowds flocked
for the third night in a row to the Red Square
on Sunday night, eager to catch a glimpse
of the free entertainment on offer.
Outside in the public amphitheatre, South
Australia's much loved designer, Razak from
Gladys Sym Choon floated through the audience
in an extremely fetching skirt, just before
the Talko Drummers of Ota scored a standing ovation from an ecstatic
crowd.
The Advartiser, Thursday, March 7, 1996
Festival Star Line-up Taiko Drummers of Ota. Red Sqare. * * * * @"Shakes your soul to life." DS
The Sunday Mail, Sunday, March 3, 1996
music was matuhed only by the grace and awesome
rythyms of Japan's Taiko Drummers of Ota, who closed concert.
The drums,originaly used to workship guardian
deities, combined in a vital,spiritual performance
which left the crowd spellbound.