The Big Drummer Boys

An ochre beam lights up a large drum on a raised dais. Its circular plate faces a hushed, expectant audience. In the shadowy penumbral light that bathes the rest of the stage, a bare-torsoed figure glides silently onto the platform. He bows before the instrument and picks up the sticks. Then legs slowly spreading into a half split, he raises his arms ceremoniously, his back to the audience. Oiled muscles gleam. Then in one swimming stroke he strikes. The silent tableau shatters. The hall comes alive to a tattoo of beats as Leonard Eto begins his drumming of the Japanese Taiko.

 

Backed ably by his group Thrill, drummer Eto with his extempore Drum of Dance formed the exciting opening act of the ongoing Japanese cultural festival Mitsui Close Up of Japan. Last week, the Capitals Siri Fort Auditorium was packed to the beams watching a possessed Eto body held straight, arms raised in constant, rhythmical motion, drum sticks flaying. At first and last it is sheer spectacle the iron discipline, stamina and physical prowess of Eto grips the audience. Then the sounds begin to filter in. Thundering, timorous,thundering. Incessantly energetic.

Drumming done, Eto finally turns to bow before the cheering crowd. But then without intro-duction he picks up another drum, reminiscent of a Durga Puja dhol and strapping it onto his shoulder begins again. Silver shod feet tap time, glistening body pirouettes as the beat quickens. His arms move faster and faster the incredible speed seems a sleight of hand. Then master drummer, Eto, panting and breathless stops, pats his drum and says to a delighted audience Im okay, this is tired. And invites tabla maestro, Zakir Hussain to join him on stage.

Zakir Hussains virtuosity of course needs no journalistic pennant. Speed made his flying fingers invisible, releasing sound pellets that arranged and rearranged themselves into changing patterns, tastefully stopping short of stealing the show. Then Eto joined in, exchanging beat for beat, only occasionally trailing behind in the friendly combat of rhythm.

The supporting performers were an accomplished violin duo and a rather humorous horn section which added more verve than tune or texture to the concert. Most eye-catching of this brassy lot was the trombone player who sported a fluorescent white feathery tail from his head and pranced about the stage horsing around with his trombone. Getting the audience to clap time and catching laughs. All in all, it was not so much experimental fusion as a lot of musical pyrotechnics. But a Zakir Hussain solo, Eto and he together or, maybe even, Eto alone, would have served music lovers better.

New York born 34-year-old Eto has played before with Zakir and observes, There is no comparison between the tabla and Taiko drums but the wonderful thing is that music has a universal language. Eto who plays three sets of Taiko drums and has an abiding interest in India adds, It is very interesting to play the tabla. Zakir is simply brilliant.

In Japanese tradition, the drum was created to propitiate the Sun Goddess who was angered with the desecration of her loom and who hid her light away in a cave. Spiritual myth and tradition run deep in the young man Etos father was the founder of the Ikuta Eto style of Koto playing. As a young boy, Eto picked up the tricks of the trade from his talented father and has now become a household name in Japan.

Besides touring Japan, Eto performed in more than 20 other countries as the ace drummer of Kodo, an internationally known Japanese Taiko drum group. He has also composed music for Hollywood films such as JFKand The Hunted. Ever since he separated from Kodo in September 1992, Eto has been busy collaborating with a variety of musicians under the name Club Leo. He also performed at the Great Musical Experience 94 at the Todaiji Temple in Nara, Japan, which brought together artists like Bob Dylan, Jon Bon Jovi and The Chieftains.

What is most striking about Eto, after his physical prowess and his percussionist skill, is his humility. While Zakir Hussain began his evenings mastery by assigning a row of camera men who were apparently intruding on his line of vision, new places, Eto swung into his performance with a quiet and beguiling namaste.

Speaking to Eto back-stage supported Zakir Hussains opening remark of the evening Rhythm is universal, so Im sure we can make something, whatever that something is of this evening. Not fluent in English, Eto communicated better through his beats, conveying moods and making links which language denied.

Eto played the drum almost non-stop for two hours, but remains noncommittal about his formidable stamina. I do not practise to build stamina. I swim a bit, but thats about all. The rest emerges from here, Eto says, simply gesturing towards the pit of his stomach.

The Drum of Dance performed at Siri Fort was, in a word, different. Although Zakir Hussain and Eto have toured Europe together before, they rehearsed together only once for this show. The performance sought to fuse the rhythm and sound of the Japanese Taiko, which plays a traditional role at Japanese festivals, with the India tabla, Western music and musical instruments creating a flavour and sound beyond each of these.

And if the evenings music did not quite make your body and soul dance as the publicity fliers promised, Zakir Hussain and Leonard Etos jugalbandi still had its moments for the Capitals starved audiences.