And Here It Is
Ladies and Gentlemen of Bachido.
I am here to post the first of many updates on the First Ever Bachido Gathering
For now, it is just text, but you can expect videos to be inserted into the post in due time.
I find myself almost in-eloquently at a loss for words as I think back on our day and attempt to share it with you…
And so, I will revert to a word that worked it’s way into the event’s daily vocabulary (mostly on my part lol) ever so frequently … epic
And when I use this word, I do not do so simply in it’s overly used slang sense, but also in terms of it’s true meaning in relation to the day itself:
ep·ic (Definition)
- Surpassing the usual or ordinary, particularly in scope or size.
- Heroic and impressive in quality
And so… where to start…
Well, let’s start with the point that really made the event what it was; The Members.
The First Ever Bachido gathering saw people from The U.S., Canada, and even members from Japan, spanning all the way from Nagoya to Aomori.
The day started with a spectacular performance by Ki&Ki in Ueno park.
For any of you who don’t know, Ki&Ki is a Tsugaru Shamisen duo who quite recently went pro and has begun to gain vast popularity at a stunning rate.
The girls graced Ueno park gorgeous in Yukata, and blew everyone away with their sound~
The hour passed us by faster than any of us could have imagined, but nearing the end of the performance, we were graced with the presence of the one and only Kevin Kmetz who without rest, made his way down to Tokyo from the Bachido recording session in Sapporo~
After this, we all made our way to Mikado shamisen shop in Asakusa where the staff had been kind enough to prepare a small gift for all of the members who made their way out~
We took some time, did some shopping, and made our way to a restaurant that would soon exceed our wildest expectations…
And while I could simply describe this as epic and move on, I will do one better, and elaborate~
Makking our way to the restaurant, Kikko (http://www.waentei-kikko.com/kodai_e.html) which is located quite close to Asakusa’s main temple, the mood was that of excitement (and presumably hunger…). As we arrived in front of the restaurant’s beautiful and traditional entrance, anticipation was in the air. But none of us could have guest what would follow…
Our meals, were beautifully put together bento filled with seasonally prepared delicacies and presented just as elegantly.
We talked, we laughed, we bonded.
But the moment the tsugaru shamisen players took the stage, we went quiet. Our beautifully prepared lunches seemingly insignificant to the presence of the players before us.
They started to play.
The room filled with sounds of shamisen the likes of which we could not have prepared our hearts, nor our minds for.
Shamisen played so skillfully, that the sheer power of it’s performance brought Kevin Kmetz to laughter.
And with all of this, it is hard to believe that the day had just begun…
And so with food in our stomachs, and shamisen still ringing in both our hearts and ears, we made our way to a surprisingly nice and well-lit (karaoke) room where the true magic of the day slowly began to unravel and reveal itself.
we embarked into everything from Minyo+Shamisen duets, to playing songs ranging from Rokudan all the way to Super Mario~
And then… a spark.
Someone began to play. Nothing specific or complicated, but rather a phrase, a riff, a base. And before we knew it, there were 2 Shamisen playing this tune. And then a third. The music started to grow and change, organic as the shamisen itself.
Somewhere in the dreamlike state that had overcome us, we could hear drums playing along. It was John. The song, which would be the first of many improvisations for the day, spread like wildfire and set a tone for the rest of the day.
We were hooked, and the sounds of shamisen were growing increasingly infectious.
We played. We talked. We laughed. We bonded.
One hour turned to two. Two turned to three. And when three turned to four, we decided to shift gears.
By this time, 3 members and 1 visitor had departed, and only those who brought their shamisen remained.
We made our way down to the river and set up right in front of the Tokyo Sky Tree.
As the daytime light faded and turned the sky a warm, pacifying color, we played.
The evening faded to night. The Sky Tree lit up, and suddenly, painfully aware of the limited hours remaining, we switched into high-throttle.
We jammed, made songs, did interviews with each other, talked about shamisen life and the future of Tsugaru Shamisen (which we all very much seemed to agree that Bachido can play a major part in).
We played. We talked. We laughed. We bonded.
Boats, stunningly lit in beautiful reds, blues, pinks and oranges, filled the river in front of us. We played for them. Some cheered, some just enjoyed the sounds.
And before we knew it, the night began to come to a close.
We slowly packed up and made our way along the river back to the station.
As we walked, we we talked about bachido, life, and everything in between~
We talked. We laughed. We bonded. And finally… we parted.
A legendary day had taken place. And we had all been witness to it.
And now, I find myself once again at a loss of words to express the feeling that overcomes me…
In any normal case, I would simply say gratitude. But somehow, this word doesn’t seem to carry the power that one would wish it to carry in these circumstances.
So rather I will stick to the words that, in their simplicity, mean so very much…
Thank You
Thank each and every one of you that made this event possible.
Thank you all for your time, efforts, and for some of you, for coming as far as you did~
You may not know it yet, but this is shamisen history in the making~
See you all soon~
-Norm Nakamura
I’m smiling so much as I read this… This event right here is the definition of epic! This indeed was a legendary day.
