![]() Today taiko groups can be found throughout Japan and touring the world bringing with them the intensely physical, rhythmic magic of taiko. Modern taiko music did not appear until the mid 1900s, when a jazz musician named Daihachi Oguchi broke tradition and formed the first taiko ensemble. Taiko have long been associated with religious ceremonies and cultural festivals. This passionate dance on an upturned barrel is said to be the birth of taiko music. She refused to reappear until Ame-no-Uzume, the goddess of revelry, threw over a sake barrel and danced ferociously upon it, tearing off her clothes. It is said that the sun goddess, Amaterasu, sealed herself inside a cave, plunging the world into darkness. Taiko (Japanese drums) are so deeply rooted in Japanese culture that they feature in the Nihon Shoki, one of Japan’s oldest history books. More recently pop duo YY has also incorporated koto into their DJ sets. Today its boundaries continue to be pushed by contemporary artists such as Michiyo Yagi who uses the koto for improvisation. Despite this, koto musicians have repeatedly defied convention, resulting in a traditional instrument that has edge in the 21st century. Traditional koto music was played by the well-educated and demanded precise, technical skills. This student was known as Yatsuhashi Kengyo, and he’s credited for bringing koto music to the people, and is even called “the father of modern koto music.” This all changed in the 17th century when one of the court’s own koto musicians began teaching koto to a blind shamisen player. Unlike the shamisen, the koto began life as an instrument of the royal court, which made it inaccessible for ordinary people. The standard Koto has 13 strings, plucked with three finger picks. The shamisen also recently made an appearance in the animated film Kubo and The Two Strings, with the partially-blinded main character, Kubo, performing in the streets of his local village. Modern musicians are making the most of this by using the shamisen for a variety of genres from rock to jazz, and even bluegrass. With a history of being played by blind street performers, who relied on improvisation instead of sheet music, the shamisen values individuality and raw emotion with few rules to follow. Today it’s the shamisen’s roots as an instrument of the people and its connection to folk music that appeals to modern musicians. While the shamisen had already captured the hearts of the common people, it wasn’t long before kabuki and its musical accompaniment, the shamisen, climbed the social ladder and found a place in Japanese high culture. Their performance styles meant the shamisen became associated with folk music and narrative performances, and quickly became the expected accompaniment to kabuki theatre. The shamisen was first adopted by blind musicians, street performers and geisha. It’s believed to have been inspired by instruments that arrived in Osaka from China in the 16th century. The shamisen has a relatively short history in Japan. The neck is designed to allow the lower string to connect with the fingerboard, creating a unique buzzing sound when played, known as sawari. The shamisen has a basic form similar to that of the banjo, with three strings that are plucked with a large pick called a bachi. Send us feedback about these examples.These four instruments are not just credited with creating traditional Japanese music, but can also tell a story about Japanese culture. These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shamisen.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Sery Kim, Fox News, 15 June 2017 These delicate, highly ritualized pieces are performed in elaborate costume and makeup, to the accompaniment of flute, drums, chanting, and the banjo-like shamisen. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, During the course of an evening, a geisha or meikko engages in skillful conversation before transitioning to play a three-stringed instrument called a shamisen. 2021 Much of the excitement of this hour-both for viewers and the characters themselves-was in recognizing the clone character under the pancake makeup, or in hearing a familiar tune rendered in shamisen. 2020 The music is grand and has an anthemic quality to it, and the composers include instruments that are seldom used in games, especially indie titles like this one, like the shamisen and saxophone. 2022 His parents ran an establishment where women entertained guests by playing classical Japanese instruments like the three-stringed shamisen. Recent Examples on the Web The Hu blends the sounds of horsehead fiddle with electric guitars and drums in Japan, Wagakki Band incorporates the traditional three-stringed shamisen into its blend of heavy rock.
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