Waterford and Märkischer Kreis cement cultural connections at Spraoi!
Taiko Drummers recently travelled from the Märkischer Kreis region in Germany to take part in the 31st annual Spraoi International Street Arts Festival.
The drummers who are students at Taiko-Dojo Monika Volmer School in Hermer, a small town in the Märkischer Kreis region which recently twinned with Waterford, were a fantastic addition to the rich and varied programme of events on offer over the Bank Holiday weekend.
Taiko are hollow, barrel-shaped wooden drums and have been an integral part of Japanese culture since as early as 10,000 BC.
Traditionally in Japan the unique sound of the taiko drum served as a boundary marker. They also acted as a motivating rallying cry for soldiers. Samurais were sent into battle against the backdrop of the powerful, monotonous drumbeats delivered by armies of drummers.
Today the Taiko drum accompanies prayer ceremonies in temples, is a key section in vibrant and colourful parades, and can be heard throughout towns and villages during all kinds of festival and event celebrations.
Mayor of Waterford City and County, Cllr. Jason Murphy welcomed the Taiko drummers to Waterford for their performance during the Spraoi festival and said, “The students of Taiko-Dojo Monika Volmer School in Hermer are honouring a millennia-old Japanese tradition, and we are very fortunate to get to experience the powerful and rhythmic energy of the taiko drummers here in Waterford, particularly during Spraoi weekend.
It’s also a great opportunity to further our links with Märkischer Kreis in Germany, as our two regions are enjoying a relatively new twinning arrangement and look forward to working together in the future with the shared goal of making Waterford and Märkischer regions where people will continue to live, work, visit and invest in.”
Ms Monika Volmer, the leader of the Taiko drummers, was delighted to visit Waterford and showcase a long-standing Japanese tradition in Waterford saying, “As we build on the relationship between Waterford and Märkischer Kreis, being able to share the breadth of cultural talent and diversity that we have in Märkischer Kreis with our friends in Waterford is a wonderful experience.”
This latest example of the twinning partnership between Waterford & Märkischer Kreis was a great success and the drummers enhanced what was a fantastic weekend of performances by Spraoi.
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2/6: Mayor of Waterford City and County Cllr. Jason Murphy with students of the Taiko-Dojo Monika Volmer School who performed at the Spraoi festival.
4: Mayor of Waterford City and County Cllr. Jason Murphy and Monika Volmer
