Stephen Montoya
From the left, Aaron Bakutis, his dad David Bakutis, and Delaney Hart perform a traditional Japanese taiko song at the Japanese Gardens in Fort Worth.
There’s a small group of highly dedicated musicians that meet every Sunday evening to play loud music and sweat on the west side of Fort Worth. No, this isn’t the description for yet another garage-based rock band, rather a group of traditionalists that like to keep a good tandem beat. Besides the occasional flute or chant, the Fort Worth-based Dondoko Taiko Japanese drum group is really all about sustaining the ancient tradition of ceremonial drumming. And although this tradition can be traced back thousands of years, Fort Worth’s chapter has been around since 1998.
Founded by the late Elaine Yamagata of the Japanese Society along with Fort Worth’s sister city Nagaoka, Japan, this volunteer Japanese drumming group was created to keep with Japanese traditions well also creating a sense of camaraderie. This style of drumming combines slight martial arts techniques along with a bit of music theory and dance-style choreography. Broke down, the term dondoko means somewhere or anywhere, with taiko being a term for a traditional Japanese barrel-shaped drum. When played in unison, the beats from these drums can be more than heard — they can be felt.
And no one knows this better than 18-year member and defacto Dondoko Taiko leader, David Bakutis.
Stephen Montoya
“I actually found out about this group after attending a Japanese event at the Botanic Garden,” he says. “It turns out they were looking for new members, so I signed me and my son Aaron up as a way to do something together as a father and son.”
What was supposed to only last maybe two or three years has been a continued bonding experience for the duo, who say it was a bit harder than they anticipated.
“Usually, for most members it takes two or three practices to feel out if you are really, really interested,” Bakutis says. “It can get real physical, and it takes time to learn the songs.”
There is sheet music available for anyone who knows how to read it, but for the now 15 members of this group, playing by memory is the main method many of them use to achieve symmetry. Once an attendee has proven their interest in this ancient tradition, Dondoko Taiko supplies them with two pieces of attire, which consist of a happi (pronounced hoppy) coat and obi belt. Plus, all taiko members have access to the various sized drums housed at this group’s practice space behind the Japanese Society’s campus.
Once an initiate is made an honorary member, they are required to pay a monthly fee of $20, which helps pay for the practice space. Other required gear that needs to be purchased by members are pants and tabi boots.
Stephen Montoya
Delaney Hart is the newest member of the Dondoko Taiko Japanese drum group.
Once everyone is suited up, Bakutis says learning the Taiko drum parts usually happens in sections. “One is, you have to learn the song, you know, learn the beats. And then it's the showman part of it,” he says. “We have our hands up, it's just not beating the drum, it's getting your hands up and some of our songs are really active…you have to move around.”
The technique Bakutis is describing goes back several thousand years. It was originally thought to be a part of Japanese’ religious ceremonies. But as time went on, it got to be used as a live soundtrack to usher samurai warriors into battle. Legend has it, these drums were also used by farmers to scare away the insects in their fields. This traditional style of drumming was made prevalent in the U.S. during the 1950s, predominantly in the California area. From there, several taiko groups were formed and began touring the country. Now, taiko drumming can be found in almost every major city in the country, spearheaded by small groups like Fort Worth’s very own Dondoko Taiko.
“It's certainly not like Japan,” Bakutis says. “Japan is a lot different. A lot of people play taiko in Japan. In fact, the companies over there all have their own little taiko groups, which is kind of interesting.”
As for the music this group of beat enthusiasts plays, Bakutis verifies most of the six main tunes they practice consist of traditional Japanese taiko songs, with a fan favorite or two thrown in for good measure. “We play the intro to an anime show called ‘Naruto,’” he says. “We get some great feedback from that one and it’s fun to play.” And although these songs last for mere minutes, the workout and practice it takes to perform them takes dedication.
Delaney Hart, the newest member to join this drum group, says she’s found strength she never knew she had due to the practice routines of this group. “I have my master’s in musicology, so the music aspect of this group wasn’t hard for me to understand,” she says. “However, playing in front of a crowd was a terrifying thought for me before I joined.”
What helped Hart overcome her fear of stage fright was the camaraderie of her peers and knowing that she wasn’t alone in front of the crowds.
Besides always being in attendance for the Spring and Fall festivals at the Botanic Garden, Dondoko is also available for hire to do events. In fact, they were in front of the newly opened Sandman Signature Fort Worth Downtown Hotel last month to celebrate its grand opening. The Dondoko Taiko drummers will also be performing their rhythms in November at the Botanic Gardens on Saturday & Sunday, November 5-6 at 10:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. in the Horseshoe Garden.
Stephen Montoya
Chances are attendees will see Hart along with her cohorts moving in unison while keeping the beat.
“I joined because I wanted to try a sort of new musical experience and the physicality of taiko really appealed to me,” Hart says. “And I found that it's really encouraged me to sort of keep up with staying fit and whatnot, but also I really enjoy sort of the social aspects of it. I am a very shy person naturally. And so, I hoped that maybe it might help me make some friends but also, the nature of taiko, it's very dramatic with lots of big movements, it's very loud. I sort of hoped that it might help me come out of my shell a little bit and, I don't know, get myself out there, and I found that it's definitely done that.”
