Daihachi Oguchi and Osuwa-Daiko “S.T.”

小口大八と御諏訪太鼓
小口大八と御諏訪太鼓
Oscar Records (Japan) 197x
SC-10738 (LP) w/insert.
sleeve : EX(WC, slightly wear on corner, light color-faded.)
media : EX+/EX(some light surface noises.)

This is an album by Daihachi Oguchi and the Osuwa drummers, who have inherited the traditions of Suwa drumming, which is said to have originated from kagura and festival music, in Suwa City, Nagano Prefecture, where villages are said to have flourished since the Jomon Period and where Suwa Taisha Shrine is located, known for its indigenous beliefs and the Gohashira Festival. This album is a descendant of the Oguchi family, who were under the command of Atobe Otakusuke, the chief drummer for Takeda Shingen. This is a wonderful performance of percussion grooves that are particularly primitive and dynamic among Japanese festival music, and it develops dramatically as if you were watching a film about the Warring States period. There is a lot of music in this country that has taken the classics to a new level, such as Hozan Yamamoto, Shinichi Yuize, and the Ondekoza. I recommend it to those who like the aforementioned Ondekoza as well as Eitetsu Hayashi and Kodo.