Daihachi Oguchi and Osuwa Daiko “Osuwa Daiko I”

宗家 小口大八と御諏訪太鼓
御諏訪太鼓 I
Victor (Japan) 1978
KVX-1046 (LP) w/obi (color-fade on top), insert (some stains.)
sleeve : VG+(light and fine stains.)
media : EX+/EX+(some slightly surface noises, still good.)

Suwa City in Nagano Prefecture is said to have been a prosperous village since the Jomon period, and is home to Suwa-taisha Shrine, known for its indigenous beliefs and the Gohashira Festival, as well as the traditional musical culture of Suwa-daiko, which is said to have originated in Kagura and festival music.

Oguchi Daihachi is a descendant of the Oguchi family, who were under the command of Atobe Katsusuke, a warlord in the Warring States period who was in charge of drumming for Takeda Shingen.

Released in 1978, all of the music on this album is new work by Oguchi. This is a wonderful performance of Japanese festival music, with a particularly primitive and dynamic percussion groove that unfolds throughout the piece. B1 takes a dramatic turn as if you were watching a movie. It is said that traditional Japanese music doesn't evolve much, but if you listen to Oguchi's creative works with strong backing, you'll know that's not the case. There is a lot of music in this country that has taken the tradition to a new level, such as Hozan Yamamoto, Shinichi Yuize, and other traditional Japanese instrumentalists, as well as Ondekoza. I recommend it to those who like the aforementioned Ondekoza as well as Eitetsu Hayashi and Kodo.