Yamato, Dome Concert Hall, Brighton, April 9

11:08am Friday 11th April 2008

For those who have had to endure the jarring inadequacies of djembe players on Brighton beach, two hours spent in the company of a troupe of percussionists may not sound like such fun. But Yamato, the drummers of Japan, with their astonishing Taiko drumming, offered up a joyous evening of aurally and technically stunning music.

Taiko literally means "big drum" and, with the troupe's largest instrument weighing in at 400kg, "big" is something of an understatement. The 1.7m-diameter instrument was naturally the centrepiece for this rib-shaking evening and the Dome was correct when warning "this evening's performance is VERY LOUD".

The volume, however, was exquisite, achieving Yamato's aim of tapping into the "primordial rhythm" - the heartbeat.

As solemn as that may sound, ceremony and pomp was in no way stood on and the players found pockets of absurdity at every opportune moment, using them to connect with the audience, making for a beautifully simple, uplifting performance.

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