Yamato does not bang the drum slowly. Or softly.
What Yamato, The Drummers of Japan, does do is fill the hall with thunderous music, choreography and humor. And you can catch it all at UApresents on Sunday.
Yamato, an 18-year-old group from Naro, Japan, travels with a dozen drums, including a small Shime-Daiko and the giant O-Daiko, made from a huge 400-year-old tree, according to a UApresents news release.
The group is similar to the Kodo Drummers, which has performed in Tucson, but there are some major differences: Women are included in the troupe, and often included in nontraditional roles - don't be surprised if you see a petite female with a humongous drum.
"The show itself is simply amazing to behold, a tightly-knit combination of music, choreography and special-effects lighting that assaults the eye, ears and -especially with the titanic odaiko drum - the heart," said a review in the Pegasus News (Fort Worth, Texas).
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"The physical strength and movement of the drummers is as impressive as the music - the bass power of the drums will rock you in your seat," said a BBC review.
Yamato performs at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at Centennial Hall. Tickets are $25-$55, with discounts available. Tickets are available at 621-3341; at the Centennial Hall box office, and www.uapresents.org
