Jason Matsumoto and Mary Doi
Recorded
November 12, 2020
41:14 minutes
0:00 / 0:00
Id:
chi003399
Description
Mary Doi (67) interviews her friend Jason Matsumoto (37) about Japanese Taiko drumming and his film career. He talks about how he has adapted the ensemble in 2020 to COVID-19 and to pay tribute to Black Lives Matter by performing for inmates outside the Cook County jail.Subject Log / Time Code
JM talks about Japanese taiko ensemble drumming which he learned at the Midwest Buddhist temple in Chicago in the 1970's. He was introduced to it by his parents.
JM met a Korean film maker from NJ who told stories of non-white Americans and he made a film about the ensemble. Now JM is working in film.
JM says he also works for 1 of 2 drum makers in Japan where there's been a global impact of taiko moving across the world and there's a different narrative in the US than in Europe.
JM says Cassandr Greer-Lee's partner died from COVID-19 in the Cook County jail and now folks go every Sunday to perform and protest there.
JM says resilience before COVID-19 was just being an artist. It's been unbelievably difficult and he hasn't been that creative. Now he says resilience is self-care; it's getting through this.
MD talks about what it feels like to be in a live audience for taiko which doesn't pivot to online.
Participants
- Jason Matsumoto
- Mary Doi