Yamato: The Drummers of Japan
Chousensha — The Challengers
Japan’s Yamato challenges the possibilities of taiko drumming. The energetic group of mixed-gender percussionists captivates audiences of all ages with its blend of serious musicianship, theatrical staging, intense physicality, and comical excursions.
Yamato will make its fourth appearance at Eisenhower Auditorium in its newest program, Chousensha – The Challengers. The show takes inspiration from the performers’ feelings about their lives and experiences of challenging their limits. It also offers an anthem of encouragement to viewers as they persevere with their own challenges.
“Even the most urbane 21st-century sophisticate, whose veins flow with frothy latte and whose thumbs are adept only at swiping screens, cannot fail to respond to the exhilarating sounds created by Yamato …,” a reviewer for London’s The Stage writes about The Challengers.
This presentation is part of the Center for the Performing Arts Diversity and Inclusion Collaborative, which seeks to: immerse an array of people in the performing arts; educate the community about cultures and art forms different from the familiar; influence thinking so we become a community that embraces diversity and promotes inclusion; ensure the activities of the collaborative have a sustainable impact on the community. Funds from across Penn State and throughout the community support the initiative. The University’s Equal Opportunity Planning Committee provides lead funding. Sandra Zaremba and Richard Brown provide support.
