 |
|
|
Introduction
EAS Wai Taiko was co-founded by frontiers women Michelle Miles and Lianne Stephenson with the help of the University of Waikato's East Asian Studies Department. Our longest serving member is also our logistics controller. His name is Ken McNeil and he lectures in Japanese at the University (despite having a PhD in Physics). Our manager and treasurer is Athena Chambers, EAS' indomitable and splendid secretary. The group is led by Michelle Miles and Lianne Stephenson who teach with a mixture of quote "fun facism".
We commenced the crazy Japanese art of Taiko drumming in 2000 with 2 homemade drums - craftily created using the internet, wine barrels and a bit of kiwi ingenuity by Barry Stephenson.
Our repertoire contains mostly songs that Lianne & Michelle learned at Kyoto Tachibana Girls' High School whilst there as exchange students.
These include classics such as Chichibu Yatai bayashi, Miyake Kiyari daiko and Buchiawase - or Kenka daiko and other local songs like Ujigawa daiko, Nagara Seiryu Noboriuchi and Kagaribi among others.
Our performance style is very much based in our roots. Practices are fairly informal and we do not run marathons.
Despite the lack of long distance running the group as a performance art entity is sought after and we perform regularly throughout the year; mostly in Hamilton but also the wider Waikato area, Auckland and even once as far as New Plymouth for the premiere of The Last Samurai. Alas, Tom Cruise did not attend.
We are all volunteers working hard to keep this unique and exciting art alive in Hamilton. We enjoy shaping our local culture and it is exciting to represent the Taiko community in New Zealand.
|
