The Okinawa Music ‘Ryujin’ Concert was played as part of the Japan-Danube Friendship Year 2009 at Merlin Theatre. The evening offered a varied selection of short but gorgeous moments of Japanese performing arts.
The performance kicks off with an impressive explosion of rhythmic drum beating. The performers play and dance at the same time, punctuating the pulse with screams, shouts and whistles. The room is instantly filled with an overwhelming energy. I’m just beginning to ask myself how much of this is pure tradition and how much modern innovation, when the piece is suddenly complemented by a bit of techno-rhythm and electronic music in the background. Bizarre. But why not?!
Next comes a beautiful and intriguingly tranquil duet between a dancer in traditional costume and a three-stringed instrument, called a Samisen. The pace of this is in direct contrast to the previous piece, but the energy is equally potent. The preciseness and expressiveness of the slow movements are so haunting, you barely notice the performer floating offstage. Then suddenly, what appears to be an enormous, incredibly fluffy white dog comes bounding out. He bounces wildly around the stage, snapping his jaws, standing up on his hind legs and giving the audience mischievous glances. They love it.
After each short piece, one of the performers comes to the front of the stage to give us little pieces of background information about what we’re watching, which is helpfully translated into Hungarian at the same time. With my heart slightly sinking, I notice the energy seeping out of the space a little. This might also be because I don’t speak any Japanese and not nearly enough Hungarian; I do however, I’m very proud to say, learn that the dog was not a dog at all, but a lion. And he may be tempted to bite off the heads of a few audience members.
The show continues with various short pieces like these, leading to the grand finale, another whirl of bright colours, rhythmic drum beating, dancing, whistling, screaming and some euphoric flying twirls, giant drums and all. I am beginning to feel very tempted to jump up and join in. And it’s just as well, because that’s exactly what we’re asked to do. Stand up, sway from side to side, put your hands in the air and twist them about at the wrist. Nobody does it very well, but everyone’s having a ball!
Having been uncertain of what to expect from this performance, I was delighted to become part of an evening of joyful, light-hearted entertainment. It was not a piece of the sort of dark, reflective and philosophical nature that can be found in some of the modern types of Japanese performance, but I did not find myself regretting this. The short pieces were performed with such a skilful and evidently joyful energy, that I was more than content just to enjoy the sensuality, the fun and the playful interpretations of pieces of a fascinating and exotic tradition of performance.
I also caught up with Ryujin’s performers after the show. Here’s what they had to say about it all…
How old is the company and how was it formed?
It was formed in 2001 by two of the current members. We came to Okinawa to study, and to begin with we formed a rock band. Then we started to discover and learn some of the traditional Eisa dances and eventually formed this group.
Could you tell us more about the Eisa dances?
We do these dances during the Bon Festival. Although this festival started in and comes from Okinawa, it happens every year all around Japan and everyone takes part; even school children create performances. There are competitions to see who can create the most beautiful or creative dances. The festival celebrates the return of the spirits of our dead ancestors in the summer.
The show consisted of quite a variety of different, short performances. Which of these are closest to the original and traditional forms of Eisa dance and music?
Originally, the Eisa was a song sung by orphans for their dead parents, but the songs and performance styles have evolved into various creative performances, which include short stories, different styles of Japanese dances and marshal arts. Our story about the lion and the man was a story the company made up, but the performance is based on a traditional style of story-telling.
The piece also included a lot of text both written and sung. Can you tell us what some of these are about?
The written characters on the flags were the name of our group. Some of the songs were about relationships, especially between husbands and wives. There was one called ‘to sen ka’, which means ‘Chinese ship song’. This is about a Chinese ship coming to Okinawa. Okinawa used to be a poor prefecture and the Chinese ships always brought expensive and exciting goods.
How did you expect an audience from a different cultural context to react to this performance, and how did they react?
We have had very good audiences, so it seems they have always reacted positively. At least, they always stand up and join in at the end!
Merlin Theater