A while back, I read on Keita Kanazashi’s Instagram that Ha·Ya·To Project was going to come back to Spain for a small tour with their show Ha·Ya·To: Drum Masters. The most convenient place for me to see them was Teatro Buero Vallejo in Guadalajara. I got tickets as soon as I realised they were out, and still I did not beat the local crowd who buy tickets for any and everything.

Ha·Ya·To: Drum Masters is a Japanese percussion show wadaiko [和太鼓]. While Ha·Ya·To is officially formed by the three Kanazashi brothers, Keita Kanazashi, Ryota Kanazashi, and Yuta Kanazashi, for Drum Masters they are joined by Koji Hada, Takayuki Hashiguchi, Makoto Sekine and Shunichiro Kamiya, along with special guest stars Chieko Kojima (first female wadaiko master) and Masato Shibata (Japanese guitar shamisen world champion).

The show depicts the seasons of the year. It starts in Spring, with flowering cherry blossoms and a slow build up that yields to a super-energetic Summer, full of bouncing and strong beats. Then there comes the break and afterwards there is Autumn, where Chieko Kojima really shines, though the rhythm is a bit lower and more melancholic. Finally, energy picks up again for Winter – because it’s cold and one needs to warm up.

The show was absolutely fantastic. Afterwards, there was a “collective M&G” with pictures with the musicians. I did not get any autographs, though Ms Kojima did notice that I was carrying the DVD I bought in 2018. That lead to her, Keita and myself talking a little. I also had a photograph with Keita from an event in 2019. Their manager is very strict, and once she decides picture time is over, she really ushers them away. I did manage to sneak a selfie with Makoto Sekine after the rest of the group had left though.

I love taiko. It really energises me, and it was a great way to spend the evening. I could’ve combined it with something else, but I had plans for the next couple of days. I was off to see Apocalyptica the following day.