Shamisen si dansul traditional japonez

Sambata, 12 mai am reinceput intalnirile de cultura, dupa festivalul Japan Play Transylvania care avusese loc cu doua saptamani inainte, in zilele 27-29 aprilie. De aceasta data tema abordata a fost aleasa ca si o continuare la intalnirea din data de 17 martie, cand am vorbit intre altele, despre muzica si instrumentele muzicale japoneze. De aceasta data temele abordate au fost shamisenul si dansul traditional japonez.

Prezentarea primei teme, aceea a shamisen-ului, a inceput prin proiectia unui scurt clip dintr-un anime numit Nitaboh, in care un cantaret canta pe o scena la shamisen, in timp ce publicul asculta, inconjurat de flori de sakura. Imaginea a fost una minunata iar melodia cantata la shamisen a fost de asemenea, frumoasa, astfel ca prezentarea a inceput cu sunetul shamisen-ului proaspat in minte.

S-a prezentat un scurt istoric al acestui instrument muzical, originile sale venind din indepartatul Egipt, prin China, de unde un instrument numit sanxian a patruns in Japonia prin Okinawa. S-au prezentat, de asemenea, elementele componente ale shamisen-ului de azi, cu capul, gatul de lemn, cele trei coarde, cutia de rezonanta acoperita in cazul instrumentelor de calitate cu piele de pisica, si plectruul pentru ciupirea coardelor si lovirea corpului shamisen-ului, ce joaca rol de toba taiko, toate acestea putand sa aiba diferite forme si dimensiuni.

S-au prezentat si diferite stiluri de a canta la shamisen, intre care amintim nagauta, cantece de acompaniament pentru kabuki si bunraku, kouta fiind cantecele cantate de geisha si maiko la petrecerile japoneze, jiuta, cantecele traditionale la shamisen si tsugaru-shamisen, fiind un stil aparte de shamisen, provenit din regiunea Aomori a Japoniei. Odata cu aceste informatii am vizionat si cateva video-uri exemplificative, o domnisoara care invata sa cante la shamisen, un domn cantand Tsugaru Aiya-Bushi la shamisen, si pe dl Takahashi Chikuzan, un maestru orb, unul din promotorii Tsugaru-shamisen-ului.

In final am vizionat si ascultat si doua piese muzicale moderne in care shamisen-ul era folosit ca si instrument principal, dar pentru a canta muzica moderna, cum ar fi rock si bluegrass.

Dupa aceasta prima parte a intalnirii, dl Katsutaro Kawai a prezentat publicului un instrument muzical japonez interesant, o varianta mai moderna si simplificata a koto, instrument numit taishougoto. Dl Kawai ne-a prezentat acest instrument si a facut o scurta demonstratie, cantand melodia Sakura, Sakura la acest instrument, invitand apoi publicul prezent sa incerce sa cante la acest instrument muzical, la finalul intalnirii

Dupa acest moment de taishougoto, prezentarea a continuat cu dansul traditional japonez. S-au prezentat, la inceput, elementele principale ale Nihon Buyou, tezaurul adunat de cultura japoneza in materie de dans pana in ziua de azi, de-a lungul secolelor. Dansurile au fost extrase din alte arte, cum ar fi teatrul kabuki si noh. Din kabuki s-au extras temele care sunt reprezentate, notiunea de spectacol si miscarile obisnuite redate prin exagerare, dar nu pentru a le urati, ci pentru a scoate in evidenta frumusetea acestor miscari. Din teatrul noh s-au extras miscarile circulare si instrumentele de dans, cum ar fi evantaiul, care poate tine locul unei sabii sau a altor instrumente, dar si acele instrumente pot fi folosite in sine.

Au mai fost extrase miscari din dansurile populare, cu precadere miscarile energice, vioaie, sariturile si alte miscari asemanatoare. Au fost extrase si elemente de dans european si american.

In dansul traditional japonez se evidentiaza doua mari feluri de dans, numite mai si odori. Mai este un dans care se concentreaza mai mult pe introspectie, pe meditatie, impun un ritm al publicului care favorizeaza meditatia si este practicat in general in camere mici, cu un public select si intr-o atmosfera de meditatie, 

in timp ce dansurile de tip odori sunt mult mai vioaie si induc o stare de bine prin miscari fascinante si culori care incanta ochii. 

Sunt dansuri de spectacol, in acestea simtindu-se mai mult atmosfera de spectacol, ca in cazul kabuki si bunraku. Am vizionat doua dansuri reprezentative pentru fiecare stil.

In final am amintit si de existenta dansurilor de tip religios, kagura, dansate in diferite circumstante, fie de preotese numite miko, fie de calugari houshi. In aceasta categorie exista dansuri de purificare, dansuri de onorare a zeilor, dansuri de alungare a spiritelor rele sau dansuri prin care se pun in scena diferite legende si intamplari miraculoase. La final am vizionat si un astfel de dans.

Inainte de a incheia aceasta intalnire, dat fiind faptul ca era ziua de nastere a dnei Kayoko Kawai, iar cu o zi inainte, a drei Ana, am cantat La multi ani! si am adus un tort surpriza pentru cele doua sarbatorite.

 In final am ramas cu totii la inca putin timp de discutii, felicitari si poze, plecand acasa mai bogati cu inca o frantura de cultura japoneza.

  *****English Version bellow:******

Sunday, May 12^th we restarted our usual cultural meetings, after the Japan Play Transylvania festival that had taken place two weeks before, on April 27^th - 29^th. This time, the subject was chosen as a continuation of the meeting on March 17^th, when we discussed, among other things, about Japanese music and musical instruments. This time we talked about the shamisen and Japanese traditional dance.

The presentation of the first topic, the shamisen, started with a short fragment of an anime called Nitaboh, where a shamisen player performs on a stage, while the public is listening. The picture was beautiful, as was the shamisen song that was being played, so that we started off with the shamisen sound in mind.

After that, a short history of the shamisen was presented, with its origins as far as Egypt, travelling and changing shape through China, reaching Okinawa by the name sanxian, from where it spread throughout Japan. The component elements of a shamisen were also presented, starting from the head, through the wooden neck, the three strings, the cat-skin covered body and the plectrum of various shapes used to strike the strings and body of the instrument acting as a taiko drum, all of these having variations in shape and size.

Different types of shamisen music were also presented, some of which are nagauta, which are used as soundtracks for kabuki and bunraku, kouta, the compositions played by geisha and maiko at Japanese parties, jiuta, which is the original shamisen sound and music, and also a very different style called Tsugaru-shamisen, original from the Aomori prefecture of Japan. Together with this information, we watched a few examples, a young lady who learns how to play the shamisen, a man playing Tsugaru Aiya Bushi and Mr. Takahashi Chikuzan, a blind shamisen master, one of the original Tsugaru-shamisen players.

In the end we watched and listened to two modern songs, where the shamisen was used as a main instrument, but this time in order to play modern music, like rock and bluegrass.

After this first half of the meeting, Mr. Katsutaro Kawai presented an interesting Japanese musical instrument, a modern and simplified variation of koto, called taishougoto. Mr. Kawai presented and performed a short song, called Sakura, Sakura. In the end, he invited the public to give a try to the instrument, after the end of the meeting.

After the taishougoto moment, the presentation continued with Japanese traditional dance. In the beginning, Nihon Buyou was presented, which is the whole of what Japan gathered regarding dance throughout centuries. Dances were extracted out of other arts like kabuki and noh theatres. Kabuki was the origin of the themes represented by various dances, of the notion of show, spectacle and of the exaggerated moves representing the normal movement of somebody, exaggerated not in a manner that makes the movement unattractive, but the opposite, which emphasizes the beauty of the movement. From noh theatre were extracted circular movements, as well as dancing instruments, like the hand fan, swords and other dancing instruments, often replaced and represented through the hand fan.

Some other movements were extracted from folk dances, mainly lively movements, jumps, leaps and other similar movements. Some European and American movements were also extracted.

In Japanese traditional dance we have two main categories: mai dances and odori dances. Mai are dances which are more introspective, meditative, imposing a rhythm which favours meditation and is practiced mainly in enclosed rooms, in private spaces. Odori are much more lively generating pleasure by means of lively and visually astonishing movements, in a pool of colours. They are dances for stage and public display purposes, like kabuki and bunraku. We also watched two representative dances for each style.

In the end we also pointed the existence of a religious type of dance, kagura, which are practiced in different circumstances, by miko priestesses, or houshi monks. In this category there are purification dances, worship dances for various gods, dances for protection from bad spirits and dances which dramatize different legends and miraculous stories.

Before the end of the meeting, given the fact that it was Ms. Kayoko Kawai birthday and Ms. Ana’s birthday the day before, we sang Happy Birthday! and we served a surprise cake for the two of them. In the end we stayed a little bit more to discuss, give our regards to the celebrated and take pictures, returning home with another page of Japanese culture in our minds.