Every art form needs to constantly reinvent itself and evolve continuously to capture the attention of the younger generation. A young group of instrumentalists in Japan, wanting to continue the traditional folk music styles adding a contemporary flavour to it, got together to form a band.
By combining ‘WA,’ which means harmony, and ‘SABI,’ which means the catchy part of a song, four young musicians christened their group WASABI, a traditional Japanese instrumental group. The Consulate General of Japan in Chennai, The Japan Foundation and ABK-AOTS Dosokai Tamil Nadu centre presented this group in Chennai recently to commemorate ‘2017 The Japan-India Friendly Exchanges’ programme.
Ryoichiro Yoshida on the three-stringed instrument Tsugaru-Shamisen, Hiromu Motonaga on Shakuhachi-Japanese Bamboo Flute, Naosaburo Biho on Taiko-Japanese drum and Shin Ichikawa on Koto-17 stringed Japanese Harp gave us a glimpse of their musical heritage.
The group began with a slow-paced folk song, which drew the listeners into their world of melody. They brought in rhythmic fervour in the next song. As the evening progressed, the group constantly explored various permutations and combinations of the instruments. There were certain sections where each instrument was played individually. For instance, when two instruments were paired, they played alternately and there were moments, when all four came together in total harmony. It was interesting to note that there was a lot of similarity to the North-East musical styles of India. The music of the Harp had the same lilting melodious sounds of the santoor. There were also some segments where the constant tapping on the frets and strings, created sounds akin to the Thaanam played in Carnatic music concerts.
Being an instrumental group, there was no possibility for any linguistic barriers for the listeners. The Wasabi group members kept the audience engrossed throughout the show. It reiterated their belief of continuing a folk tradition to suit contemporary tastes, going beyond geographical boundaries or age barriers.
