Harmony of Mind, Body and Sound: An Interview with Kenny Endo
和諧的思想，身體和聲音：專訪肯尼遠藤
肯尼遠藤談他的旅程通過音樂和他的激情的太鼓的鼓。
由阮邁
發布日期：2010年5月12日
肯尼遠藤。照片提供：修三上元
日本美國文化及社區中心最近慶祝其成立30週年的盛大 活動於 3月30日。這個紀念活動的特色表演，從射箭到傳統音樂的惹諾恩 卡。
太鼓藝術家肯尼遠藤與日本傳統音樂家合作，渡邊薰與西 方敲擊樂安倍Lagrimas在一個強大的，移動的一塊打開了慶祝活動。從他的第一個大鞦韆上赫然鼓，遠藤散發出不懈努力的激 情和能量通過他的表現。他不僅演奏樂器，他是與他的鼓台上跳舞。遠藤用他的整個身體對抗和控制大規模的太鼓，保持了穩 定，精確的節奏。有了活力和流動性，遠藤握把舞台地板與他的腳，因為他 抗拒從影響的太鼓，再次揮拍之前，從來沒有丟失一個節拍。每一次罷工的太鼓，他把充滿活力的新谷波整個劇場。
阿帕會談遠藤肯尼對他的音樂開始，在無止境的興奮和挑 戰太鼓，和他即將進行的工作。
亞洲太平洋藝術：何時以及如何做你感興趣的太鼓？
肯尼遠藤：這是我35年玩太鼓，所以自1975年以 來。我一直很喜歡鼓，因為我是一個小孩子，我開始演奏西方 鼓時，我是9歲。第一個日本的太鼓太鼓我看到的是庫米，這在日本是藝術 的一組演奏鼓樂。這是相當新的，在計算，日本的歷史。這不是一個傳統的形式，但是當我第一次看到它在 1973年我想，“噢，我想這樣做。”你可以聽到鼓聲不只是你的耳朵，但你能感覺到它一直到 你的骨頭。這也是我第二部分的文化遺產，所以我想與它取得聯繫。
阿帕：是否扮演任何其他樂器？
柯：這主要是鼓和打擊樂器。我打在學校樂隊和學校管弦樂隊，所以我打不同的管弦樂 樂器如小鼓，大鼓，鈸，定音鼓，那些種的東西。然後我也發揮了竹笛的shinobue。
阿帕：由於有許多不同類型的太鼓，是一種有特定的專 業，你呢？
柯：不是真的。當我正在學習，你將學習所有不同種類。我猜我主要是專注於大鼓，odaiko。此外，如果你發現我的最後一塊從 JACCC週年演唱會，我用一組鼓，我叫我太鼓集。有三種不同大小的鼓在這。我還專門在津津見，我在一開始使用時，小坂弘拍箭頭。它可能是這三個中，都住，太鼓集和odaiko。
該 kotsuzumi（也稱為都住）是沙漏鼓玩你的手。這是唯一一個我知道你不打了一棒，或八尺，因為我們 說。你用你的雙手，你可以釋放繩。歷史是不同的太鼓，因為它來自日本的傳統戲劇，能劇和 歌舞伎最初，所以音樂其實是很老。該 odaiko是非常苛刻的物理，因為支是真正的大，你必須真正硬起來。所以，這需要很多體力。太鼓集的東西，因為我發展我的背景在西方音樂。通常在傳統的音樂，可以使用兩個鼓的鼓手在最，但他們 通常不使用三個或更多這樣的。但是，我在很多情況下我的音樂是唯一的鼓手或敲擊樂 手，我感到有必要對這些聲音。我用了很多，而且它的東西我一直在試圖發展。我還在不斷地練習，並試圖改善。總是有這麼大的空間改善。
阿帕：考慮到你熟悉的西式鼓和太鼓，你怎麼發現是兩者 的主要區別？它是如何從一個過渡到另一個？
柯：我想最困難的事情是，你必須使用你的整個身體。當您在玩西方鼓，你剛才坐下。我不這樣做經常了，但我仍然很喜歡這一類的比賽，我依 然能聽到那種音樂。但在太鼓，你站起來，用你的整個身體。因此，它的整個身心，精神的和諧，紀律。這是真正吸引我。
照片提供：宮武東洋
阿帕：當我閱讀你的簡歷在網站上，我看見你的表現與洛 杉磯的緊那羅太鼓和舊金山的太鼓道場。
柯：緊那羅是根據在一個佛教寺廟這實際上是非常接近南 加州大學。
阿帕：這是否Senshin廟？
柯：是啊，在Senshin廟。他們非常以社區為基礎的。這也是佛教為基礎的。我真的很喜歡這組，因為每個人都為對方的手錶，並且它 不是這麼多的基礎上質量，而且集團內的凝聚力，我認為這是非常重要的。舊金山的太鼓道場成立了由田中，老師誰是老師來自日 本，並在舊時代，當我在組，他很嚴格，他有一個背景的武術。因此，他教學校非常嚴格，這是一個不同的方法。這是一個很日本的做法，但對我來說是很好的將在這一類 的結構。
其實，我後來在1980年移居日本，結束了生活在那裡 的10年。在日本，我想了解什麼是傳統音樂。所以，我真的陷入了音樂歌舞伎認為這是古典音樂 - 古典音樂的字是hougaku。這就是我開始學習和研究都住有一些令人難以置信的教 師。其實，一個老師是我研究了一個 ningen kokuhou，或國家財富，我進入音樂稱為江戶 bayashi這是東京音樂節。我本來打算住上一年或兩年，但那是不夠的，它結束了 10年，甚至是我的兩個孩子出生在那裡。
阿帕：它是如何從你的太鼓轉換研究在美國學習太鼓在日 本？
柯：我想我最大的過渡是[適應]文化和語言 [分歧]。日本雖然我是美國人，我的父親出生在日本，我可以理 解，但日本不能真正說出來。這是一個很好的經驗為我。這是在20世紀 80年代，它是一個很好的時間將在東京，因為經濟是非常強勁。這是一個激動人心的時刻到那裡。
阿帕：你怎麼知道你想要或決定追求太鼓作為一個職業？
柯：我想，當我開始打太鼓，我知道這可能會為生活做這 做那我想這樣做。你越進入它，你越是意識到你不充分了解它，我真的很想 知道更多。我也相信你已經不再玩的越多，需要實踐。剛才有那麼多的東西跟上，所以很多事情來審查，那麼多 東西去創造。我真的很喜歡太鼓，因為它的這種挑戰，我要好好寫。
阿帕：您收到名取（古典藝名）在hougaku（日本 古典音樂）和頂部，你是第一個非日本的國家接受它。什麼是實現這一獎項的意義對你？
柯：嗯從技術意義上說，名取為藝名，演出和傳統太牌照 教給別人。我很高興我做到了，但對我來說，當我收到了名取，它沒 有這麼多的成就，而是一個開端 - 一個踏腳石。有這麼多，我就越能學習。這就像有一個說法在日本“基裡嘎泥”，意思是“有沒有 結束。”我的重點，因為我一直在美國已經開始一所學校，創作自己的音樂，開始自己的論壇，這樣的話。
阿帕：除了hougaku，還有什麼其他的音樂風格你 玩？怎麼想的實驗與未來？
柯：嗯，我開始與 hougaku和江戶 bayashi。在計算，我要創造，我試圖創造一些，有其基地在日本傳 統音樂，而且還影響來自世界各地。我的一些作品已經從音樂影響來自巴西，古巴，印度，甚 至印尼的，所以我有興趣在所有這些不同的影響。
照片提供：修三上元
阿帕：我看到你打開 JACCC成立30週年慶典活動，並與安倍Lagrimas渡邊薰。你提出的合作有一個非常獨特的古典和現代相結合的感覺 它。你是如何著手準備的表現？
柯：其實，這是很開放的時候，我只是薰，而弘，弓箭 手，在我們背後是射箭 - 這一塊是完全即興。我們有一個背景，古典音樂，即興是一個巨大的部分風 格。後來，odaiko出來了，和我打我的早期作品之一， “安全著陸”從我的第一張 CD。
還有很多很多即興在我的音樂，都薰和安倍晉三在那很 好。然後，我打“詩情”，這意味著下雨，但我寫它在9 / 11，和英文的題目是“地球的眼淚。”這不僅是專門為受害者9 / 11，但受害者9 / 11的報復。這就是這一段是關於。然後我們做“鞦韆，靈魂與誠信”從我的第二張光盤，種 了更多的是爵士樂的感覺。然後，我們結束了一個傳統的太鼓一塊，而且是一種即興 片段。
阿帕：不久後進行的JACCC成立30週年的活動，你 認為你自己的演唱會慶祝 35週年和太鼓。你有一個特定的概念或主題你想呈現給你的聽眾為您週年 紀念展？
柯：該 JACCC稱為“肯尼遠藤和朋友”，但有這個字叫mitsudomoe日本。美津意味著三，手段和domoe漩渦。有時你可以看到它畫在太鼓的皮膚。有不同的解釋這一符號，但我的理解是頭腦，身體和精 神。所以這是我的演唱會的主題和如何我走近它。我的作品大多表現是我的原創音樂，但我玩了很多客人。這是一個很大的樂趣。
阿帕：我相信你有一天專門給你所謂的“肯尼遠藤日”。
柯：是的，我認為這是在2002年或2004年，但有 一天，我很榮幸由檀香山市，由州議員。這是一種僅僅一天，他們榮幸我的一些成就。
阿帕：這是一年一度的活動？
柯：哦，不，不，這只是有一天。 [笑]
阿帕：那是什麼感覺已經達到 35年的職業生涯？
柯：感覺很好。我從來不知道我能為生活在這樣做。有時，它仍然非常艱難這樣做，因為它不是完全的主流音 樂，但即使音樂家誰發揮主流音樂也很難，因為現在的經濟。如果你在播放音樂的一種模糊的風格一樣，它更是難上加 難。這並不是說我很吃驚，我持續這麼久，但我很驚訝我已經 能夠生存這樣做。
阿帕：凡你想從這裡去？
柯：今年我們正在試圖做一個主要旅行社在美國，可能是 在10月和11月。我們將有一場音樂會於 6月11日在夏威夷檀香山在劇場與特別來賓。我計劃第2版光盤，在未來一個月左右，我有一對夫婦的 想法更光盤。我想我想記錄一些交響樂作品的演出，我作為一個單獨 的，但我想獲得這些資金，並把它記錄在CD或DVD。
我仍然想繼續創作和演出。我們有我們的學校在檀香山，我們教年輕人如何玩。我們只是想通過傳統的。我希望做更多的合作與其他藝術家，而不僅僅是其他藝術 家來自日本，但世界各地的藝術家，不同的國家。不只是亞洲音樂太，但所有不同種類。我想要做一些電影配樂。即使合作與舞蹈，戲劇和其他藝術形式。大量的想法和項目，但我想從長遠來說，我只想做一個 聲明，它是可能的生存創造自己種的職業，做什麼你的愛。
Kenny Endo talks about his journey through music and his passion for the taiko drum.
by Mai Nguyen
Date Published: 05/12/2010
Kenny Endo. Photo credit: Shuzo Uemoto
The Japanese American Cultural & Community Center recently celebrated its 30th anniversary with a gala event on March 30th. This commemorative occasion featured performances ranging from archery to traditional enka music by Jero.
Taiko artist Kenny Endo collaborated with traditional Japanese musician Kaoru Watanabe and Western percussionist Abe Lagrimas in a powerful, moving piece that opened the festivities. From his very first swing onto the impressively large drum, Endo exuded a relentless passion and energy through his performance. He was not only playing an instrument; he was dancing with his drum onstage. Endo uses his entire body to counter and control the massive taiko drum, maintaining a steady, precise rhythm. With vigor and fluidity, Endo grips the stage floor with his feet as he recoils from the impact of the taiko drum, before swinging again, never missing a beat. With each strike of the taiko drum, he sent vibrant waves throughout the Aratani theatre.
APA talks to Kenny Endo about his musical beginnings, the neverending excitement and challenges of taiko, and his upcoming work.
Asia Pacific Arts: When and how did you get interested in taiko?
Kenny Endo: This is my 35th year playing taiko, so since 1975. I’ve always liked drums since I was a little kid, and I started playing the Western drums when I was nine years old. The first Japanese drums I saw was kumi daiko, which in Japanese is the art of a group playing drums. That’s fairly new, in terms of Japanese history. It’s not a traditional form, but when I first saw it in 1973 I thought, "Oh, I want to do that." You could hear the drums not just with your ears, but you could feel it all the way to your bones. It was also a part of my cultural heritage, so I wanted to get in touch with it.
APA: Do play any other musical instruments?
KE: It was mainly drums and percussion. I played in school band and school orchestra, so I played different orchestral instruments like snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, timpani, those kind of things. And then I also played the bamboo flute, the shinobue.
APA: As there are many different kinds of taiko drums, is there any particular kind that you specialize in?
KE: Not really. When I was learning, you were expected to learn all the different kinds. I guess what I specialize in mainly is the big drum, the odaiko. Also if you noticed in my last piece from the JACCC anniversary concert, I used a set of drums that I call my taiko set. There are three different sized drums in that. I also specialize in the tsuzumi, which I used in the very beginning when Hirokazu Kosaka was shooting the arrows. It would probably be those three, the tsuzumi, taiko set and odaiko.
The kotsuzumi (also known as tsuzumi) is the hour glass drum played with your hand. That’s the only one I know where you don’t hit with a stick, or a bachi as we say. You hit with your bare hands, and you can release the ropes. The history of that is different from taiko, because it comes from traditional Japanese theatre, originally noh and kabuki, so the music is actually very old. The odaiko is very physically demanding because the sticks are really big and you have to really swing hard. So, that takes a lot of stamina. The taiko set was something that I developed because of my background in Western music. Typically in traditional music, drummers might use two drums at the most, but they don’t usually use three or more like that. But, I was in a lot of musical situations where I was the only drummer or percussionist, and I felt the need for these sounds. I use it a lot, and it’s something I’ve been trying to develop. I’m still constantly practicing and trying to improve. There is always so much room for improvement.
APA: Considering that you’re familiar with both Western drums and taiko, what do you find to be the main difference between the two? How was it transitioning from one to the other?
KE: I guess the most difficult thing is that you have to use your whole body. When you play Western drums, you just sit down. I don’t do that often anymore, but I still enjoy that kind of playing, and I still listen to that kind of music. But in taiko, you’re standing up and using your whole body. So, it’s a whole mind-body-spirit harmony sort of discipline. That was really appealing to me.
Photo credit: Toyo Miyatake
APA: When I was reading your biography on your website, I saw that you performed with Los Angeles’ Kinnara Taiko and San Francisco’s Taiko Dojo.
KE: Kinnara was based at a Buddhist temple which is actually very close to USC.
APA: Is it the Senshin Temple?
KE: Yeah, at the Senshin Temple. They are very community-based. It is also Buddhist-based. I really like that group because everybody watches out for each other, and it’s not so much based on quality but cohesiveness within the group, and I think that’s really important. San Francisco’s Taiko Dojo was formed by Tanaka-sensei who is a teacher from Japan, and in the old days when I was in the group, he was very strict and he had a background in martial arts. So, he taught the school very strictly and it was a different approach. It was a very Japanese approach, but it was very good for me to be in that sort of structure.
Actually, later in 1980 I moved to Japan and ended up living there for ten years. In Japan, what I wanted to learn was traditional music. So, I really got into the music from kabuki which is considered classical music -- the word for classical music is hougaku. That’s where I started learning the tsuzumi and studied with some incredible teachers. Actually, one of the teachers I studied with was a ningen kokuhou, or national treasure, and I got into music called edo bayashi which is Tokyo festival music. I was going to stay for a year or two, but that wasn’t enough and it ended up being ten years and even my two boys were born over there.
APA: How was it transitioning from your taiko studies in America to learning taiko in Japan?
KE: I guess the biggest transition for me was [adapting to the] cultural and language [differences]. Although I’m a Japanese American, and my father was born in Japan, I could understand Japanese but couldn’t really speak it. It was a good experience for me. This was in the 1980s, and it was a good time to be in Tokyo because the economy was really strong. It was an exciting time to be there.
APA: How did you know or decide that you wanted pursue taiko as a career?
KE: I guess when I started playing taiko, I knew that it would possible make a living doing this and that I wanted to do it. The more you get into it, the more you realize you don’t know enough about it, and I really wanted to know more. I also believe the longer you’ve been playing, the more you need to practice. There are just so many things to keep up with, so many things to review, so many things to create. I really enjoy taiko, because it’s such a challenge, and I want to keep working at it.
APA: You received a natori (classical stage name) in hougaku (classical Japanese music) and on top of that you’re the first non-Japanese national to receive it. What is the significance of achieving this award to you?
KE: Well in a technical sense, natori is a stage name to perform by and a license to teach taiko to others. I’m happy that I did it, but for me when I received a natori, it’s not so much an achievement but a beginning -- a stepping stone. There’s so much more I can learn. It’s like there’s a saying in Japan “kiri ga nai” which means “there’s no end.”My focus since I've been in the States has been starting a school, composing my own music, starting my own group, things like that.
APA: Aside from hougaku, what other music styles have you played? What would like to experiment with in the future?
KE: Well, I started with hougaku and edo bayashi. In terms of what I want to create, I’m trying to create something that has its base in traditional Japanese music, but also has influences from all around the world. Some of my pieces have influences from music from Brazil, Cuba, India and even Indonesia, so I’m interested in all those different influences.
Photo credit: Shuzo Uemoto
APA: I saw that you opened JACCC’s 30th anniversary gala event with Kaoru Watanabe and Abe Lagrimas. The collaboration you presented had a very unique combination of classical and contemporary feels to it. How did you go about preparing for that performance?
KE: Actually, the very opening when it was just Kaoru and I, while Hirokazu, the archer, was shooting arrows behind us -- that piece was totally improvised. We have a background in classical music, and improvisation is a huge part of the style. Later, the odaiko came out, and I played one of my earlier works, “Safe Landing” from my first CD.
There’s a lot lot of improvisation in my music, and both Kaoru and Abe are very good at that. Then, I played “Ame” which means rain, but I wrote it after 9/11, and the English title is “Tears of the Earth.” Not only was it dedicated to the victims of 9/11, but the victims of 9/11’s revenge. That’s what that piece is about. And then we did “Swing, Soul & Sincerity” from my second CD, kind of had more of a jazz feel. Then, we ended with a traditional taiko piece and that was kind of an improvised piece as well.
APA: Soon after performing for JACCC’s 30th anniversary event, you held your own concert celebrating your 35th anniversary of taiko drumming. Did you have a particular concept or theme you wanted to present to your audience for your anniversary show?
KE: The JACCC called it "Kenny Endo and Friends," but there’s this word called mitsudomoe in Japanese. Mitsu means three, and domoe means swirls. You can sometimes see it painted on taiko skins. There are different interpretations of that symbol, but my interpretation is mind, body and spirit. So that was the theme of my concert and how I approached it. Most of the pieces I performed were my original music, but I played with a lot of guests. It was a lot of fun.
APA: I believe you have a day dedicated to you called "Kenny Endo Day."
KE: Yes, I think it was in 2002 or 2004, but that one day I was honored by the city of Honolulu and by the state legislator. It was kind of just a day where they honored some of my achievements.
APA: Is it an annual event?
KE: Oh no no, it was just that one day. [laughter]
APA: How does it feel to have reached 35 years of your career?
KE: It feels good. I never knew I’d be able to make a living doing this. Sometimes it’s still very tough to do it, because it’s not exactly mainstream music, but even musicians who play mainstream music have a hard time because of the economy right now. If you play a kind of obscure music style like, it’s even harder. It’s not that I’m surprised that I lasted this long, but I’m surprised I’ve been able to survive doing it.
APA: Where would you like to go from here?
KE: This year we’re trying to do a major tour in the US, probably in October and November. We’re going to have a concert on June 11th in Honolulu at the Hawaii Theatre with special guests. I plan to release 2 CDs in the next month or so, and I have ideas for a couple more CDS. I guess I’d like to record some symphonic pieces in which I performed as a solo in, but I’d like to get funding to record those and put it on a CD or DVD.
I still want to continue composing and performing. We have our school in Honolulu where we teach younger people how to play. We’re just trying to pass the tradition on. I want to do a lot more collaboration with other artists, not just other artists from Japan, but artists all over the world, different countries. Not just Asian music too, but all different kinds. I’d like to do some film scores. Even collaborate with dance, theatre and other forms of art. Lots of ideas and projects, but I guess in the long term, I just want to make a statement that it’s possible to survive by creating your own kind of career and doing what you love.
