It's been 5 days since my Taiko "taiken" (tryout or trial) with the Tawoo group and I'm still left immersed in the energy of that experience. The group's founder, Kaoly Asano was teaching that night. As I walked into a group of mainly women preparing, moving, placing taikos of all sizes in the huge hall in the basement of the Akihabara Ward Center (Community Center), I was met by Nori's lovely smile who received me and showed me where to change and gave me a brief introduction to the group and their activities.
I started reading the literature on the group and realized that Kaoly Asano created it back in 1997. So I walked over to Nori and asked if Kaoly still plays with the group, and she pointed to a lady in the center of the room, who was still intent in moving the drums to their precise positions. To say the least, I was surprised that Kaoly is a very small-built, thin woman but with a great mane for hair. I looked on with great curiosity and anticipation.
But nothing was to bring me back so immediately into my body and senses as her first beat on the taiko. From that moment, I was mesmerized in body and soul as I watched and listened to her. I was seeing and in the presence of a shaman, a healer, an artist, a performer, a woman, all in one expression. My mind, when it did find a moment to interrupt the pure experience I was in, floundered in disbelief and a desperate attempt at a logical explanation for how such a sound could be produced by so small a person. The auditorium could easily seat 200 people and the ceiling is probably 30 feet high and yet the sound from Kaoly's drums wrapped around us as if we were all cuddled closely together. I watched and participated for 3 hours that night. It felt like I had come from a shamanic gathering and that I've been blessed with a transmission. It became clear that Kaoly was playing, not from her body, but from her soul, her spirit.
I will never forget this experience. I couldn't. It's in my body. Its expression was clear and direct. No interference of mind, space or time. I was in tears, touched deep in my soul and filled with joy to know that there are probably many people out there in this world, during this time when I am alive, living out their dreams, their destinies, their talents and gifts in such a beautiful and healing way. I was happy to be alive. Happy to be back in Japan.
I started reading the literature on the group and realized that Kaoly Asano created it back in 1997. So I walked over to Nori and asked if Kaoly still plays with the group, and she pointed to a lady in the center of the room, who was still intent in moving the drums to their precise positions. To say the least, I was surprised that Kaoly is a very small-built, thin woman but with a great mane for hair. I looked on with great curiosity and anticipation.
But nothing was to bring me back so immediately into my body and senses as her first beat on the taiko. From that moment, I was mesmerized in body and soul as I watched and listened to her. I was seeing and in the presence of a shaman, a healer, an artist, a performer, a woman, all in one expression. My mind, when it did find a moment to interrupt the pure experience I was in, floundered in disbelief and a desperate attempt at a logical explanation for how such a sound could be produced by so small a person. The auditorium could easily seat 200 people and the ceiling is probably 30 feet high and yet the sound from Kaoly's drums wrapped around us as if we were all cuddled closely together. I watched and participated for 3 hours that night. It felt like I had come from a shamanic gathering and that I've been blessed with a transmission. It became clear that Kaoly was playing, not from her body, but from her soul, her spirit.
I will never forget this experience. I couldn't. It's in my body. Its expression was clear and direct. No interference of mind, space or time. I was in tears, touched deep in my soul and filled with joy to know that there are probably many people out there in this world, during this time when I am alive, living out their dreams, their destinies, their talents and gifts in such a beautiful and healing way. I was happy to be alive. Happy to be back in Japan.
