2 - Tradition and derivation of the “Kamitsuki-Kiyaridaiko”

The “Kamitsuki-Kiyaridaiko” is a drum performance that accompany traditional festival events on Miyake Island, located approximately 175 kilometers south of Tokyo Bay. The tradition has been handed down within the community for many years, but the performance has undergone a number of changes over the years. First, the boom in tourism brought many tourists to the remote islands, and taiko performances began to cater to them. Then, the taiko performing arts group Kodo visited Miyake Island in its early years in order to expand its repertoire and learn some of Miyake island’s styles, which they adapted into a performance called “Miyake.” In 2000, a major volcanic eruption forced the evacuation of the entire island for four and a half years. Even after the evacuation order was lifted, the effects remained significant, and Miyakejima Geinou Doushikai, which became independent from the Preservation Society, began offering Miyake-Taiko classes in Tokyo and other parts of Japan. Although the Preservation Society and the Doushikai use the same rhythmic patterns, their performance styles differ.

　This presentation provides a summary of how each of these groups perceive and transmit these drums, based on interviews with those involved, participation in and observation of practices, and the literature. Based on the findings, the presentation will also reveal in concrete terms how, in the context in which they are situated, new relationships are born through the mediation of music, and their performances change in their own unique ways.