From Percussion Instrument Rooms of the World Vol.8｜Shoma Urakawa, Taipei, Taiwan

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This is the 8th installment of the travelogue series, and I am very humbled to be writing this article following the wonderful people who have been active all over the world, but I would be happy if I could properly introduce the readers to the percussion instruments unique to each country!

●Beautiful island, Formosa

First of all, where I currently live isJapanIt is also close to [Taiwan]. Taiwan is also called Formosa because of the legend that a sailor on the first Portuguese ship to reach Taiwan exclaimed, "Ilha Formosa" (Isle of Beauty). Taiwan belongs to the subtropics in the north and the tropics in the south, so it is warm all year round, and winter only lasts from December to early March. However, because of the high humidity, it feels very cold even when the temperature is around 10℃.
I am often asked, ``So, can you speak Taiwanese?'' The official language is Mandarin, or Mandarin Chinese. Taiwanese is also used, but Taiwanese is a dialect of Chinese and has a completely different pronunciation than Chinese, so I have no idea what it is. (As it is an oral tradition, many of today's younger generations cannot speak Taiwanese.) Therefore, there is no problem in daily life even if you cannot speak Taiwanese.
Historically, Taiwan has been very complex (and still is...), with invasions from the Netherlands, Spain, mainland China, andJapanIt has a long period of rule and occupation. Therefore, cultures and architecture influenced by each country exist everywhere in Taiwan. If you are sightseeing, we recommend seeing them.

●“Hokkaido music” heard in daily life

When you live in Taiwan, you can suddenly hear lively music coming from somewhere, even when you're inside the house.
It could be a festival or holiday celebration, or it could be a funeral or wedding. You can hear it even when you're inside the house, which means it's already loud, almost explosive! According to Taiwanese people, the louder the music, the better! The true nature of this music is Northern Guan Music, which is traditional music rooted in Taiwanese life and is a folk performing art that is indispensable at festivals and theaters. As I mentioned earlier that theaters are also indispensable, Taiwan has a traditional form of theater that was developed in Taiwan, called the traditional Beiguan Opera and the popular Taiwanese opera called "Goahi."Beiguan Opera plays are also performed in this Gezigi. When you become a top actor, you have many fans as if you were an idol.

●Both the conductor and commas are taiko drummers! ?

There are three main performance forms in the North Orchestra: ``Desjin'', ``Haikyo'', and ``Kamidana'', which includes acting, and each has a different performance location and instrument organization. ``Kamidana'' is mainly used in theaters, ``Haiba'' is in the precincts of temples, and ``Dejin'' is when people parade through the city while performing during fairs. This time, I would like to introduce the musical instruments used in the ``departure''.

First, there is an instrument that has the role of giving a signal, like a conductor, to start a performance. That is the "danpigu". Just like a drum major, he gives signals to the performers with rhythm and brilliant drumsticks. (That look is so cool!) Next to it is a tongu drum, which plays like a commas and accurately transmits signals to those around it. It is said that it got its name from the thumping sound it makes. By the way, as the name suggests, the kapi drum has quite strong skin on one side, and uses a thinly shaved bamboo drumstick. It makes a high-pitched sound that can be heard far away. Centered around these two drum players, the combined cymbals ``Dachao'' and ``Xiaochiao'', the gongs ``Shanzhan'' and ``Dalow'', and metal percussion instruments add color, and the melody is played by the ``Sona'', a type of double reed instrument.
Some people may be surprised when they see the kanji, but this wind instrument is called Charumera! It is truly a sight to behold when dozens of Charumera players begin to play at the same time. I would like many people to listen to this Charumera Ensemble, but earplugs may be a must... (My ears haven't stopped ringing for three days...)
Depending on the scale of the festival, they may spend two days performing at temples and other places dotted around the city, and sometimes perform from morning until night. This is truly a big event for the North!

●10th Taiwan International Percussion Festival!

The 10th Taiwan International Percussion Convention, also known as TIPC, will be held in Taiwan from May 24th (Friday) to June 1st (Saturday), 2019, with 12 percussion groups from 12 countries gathering and a total of 70 percussionists holding concerts across Taiwan. From America: “Third Coast Percussion”JapanThis is a very valuable opportunity to hear performances by percussion ensemble groups of various genres from around the world, including the Japanese drumming group ``Toyonokuni Yufuin Genryu Taiko'', all in nearby Taiwan.
And when you think of Taiwan, you think of xiao long bao! Mango shaved ice is perfect for this time of year. How about taking this opportunity to travel to Taiwan?
Last but not least, I would like to thank you for giving me such a valuable opportunity!

Shoma Urakawa Profile

Born in Tokorozawa City, Saitama Prefecture. Graduated from Saitama Prefectural Omiya Koryo High School Music Department and Tokyo College of Music. While in school, he appeared in the solo section of regular concerts and performed P. Creston's small marimba concerto with the Brillante windOrchestra.JapanPerformed at the 29th Percussion Newcomer Concert sponsored by the Percussion Instrument Association. In 2013, he moved to Germany to study at the Freiburg University of Music. In January 2017, he performed D. Milhaud's Percussion Concerto with the National Taiwan Normal University Wind Orchestra in Taitung County, Taiwan, and was well received.
So far, she has studied all percussion instruments with Jun Sugawara, Shoichi Kubo, Kaori Takaba, and Chieko Nishino, marimba with the late Mariko Okada, and timpani with Kyoichi Sano. Currently, he has moved his base to Taiwan and is currently enrolled at the National Taibei University of the Arts Guangzhou Music Research Institute. He is also a member of the Ju Percussion Group, a professional percussion ensemble group in Taiwan, and while performing in concerts throughout Taiwan, he also teaches at the attached music school.

*This article was published in "JPC No. 160" published on April 10, 2019. Please note that the content remains as it was at the time of publication.