MUGENKYO TAIKO DRUMMERS

THUNDERING RHYTHMS, EXCITING CHOREOGRAPHY & HIGH ENERGY

www.taiko.co.uk

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Sunday the 19th of October 2014

IPSWICH at the

NEW WOLSEY THEATRE – 7.00 pm

Box office is 01473 295900

Ipswich Venue link for Tickets

www.wolseytheatre.co.uk/shows/mugenkyo-taiko-drummers

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Tuesday the 21st of October 2014

NORWICH at the

Norwich OPEN Theatre – 7.30 pm

Box office is 01603 763 111

Norwich Venue link for Tickets

www.open247.org.uk/gigs-and-events/mugenkyo-taiko-drummers.aspx

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Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers will be on tour in the UK in October 2014, with their full concert of thundering rhythms on huge taiko drums, mysterious masked choreography with inventive lighting, muscular synchronisation timed to perfection, post-apocalyptic imagery & infectious belly laugh humour – all in a spellbinding display of pure energy & sheer athleticism.

This year is an important one for the group who will be celebrating 20 years of performing in the UK. This milestone makes Mugenkyo the longest touring & most successful taiko group around.

Further info:

www.taiko.co.uk/press/mugenkyo-concert

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The founding members Neil Mackie and Miyuki Williams of Europe’s most successful touring taiko group tell their story; 

How did you feel when you first started performing in this country?

Neil – “When we first started performing in Britain, we didn’t know how the audiences would react. But we were pleasantly surprised. British audiences love Taiko, and the group simply got busier and busier, and started to perform at bigger & more prominent venues. We continuously receive letters & emails from people saying how much taiko has moved them – some even to tears. This is how powerful Taiko drumming can be. It really can awaken something very primal in us!”

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Describe your full-length concert.

Miyuki – “A Mugenkyo concert is very varied, with a lot of light and shade, and also theatrical elements. Some of our songs are very high-energy with fast powerful rhythms. Some songs are slower and very graceful to watch, with highly choreographed and synchronised movement. Some songs involve quieter percussion instruments, such as gongs and bells and we often perform with special guests, dancers & other musicians. The concert is a whole experience in itself.”

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Who does Taiko appeal to?

Neil – “This may sound like a cliché, but Taiko appeals to absolutely everyone, and cuts across every musical boundary. Mugenkyo perform at every kind of music festival – jazz, classical, rock, folk – and wherever we’ve played we’ve found it’s always popular amongst audiences. At our concerts we draw from a wide age range – from young clubbers to parents with their children, to typical middle aged concert-goers, to old-age pensioners. As they say in Japan, Taiko really is the music of the people.”

Fest Magazine

“It’s not just a banquet for the ears – there’s also an impressive visual component to the show. The group exploit the hypnotic symmetries in the frantic movements of the musicians, using glow-in-the-dark drumsticks, masks and ribbon dancing under UV lights to dazzling effect. Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers show is one of discipline, power and intensity. Exotic enough to sustain interest and set itself apart from the majority of Fringe shows, while not being so esoteric as to alienate the audience, this theatrical performance is fiercely impressive.”

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fRoots Magazine

“In the hands of Mugenkyo, Japanese taiko drumming becomes a totality, taking in everything from music to performance… Rules were made to be broken, and Mugenkyo do it with panache, not only with their costumes and startling choreography, but also the drums themselves..”