The Gion festival of Kyoto:
The hayashi of the Kikusui-boko
TAl Ryuuichi and MASUDA Takeshi
This is based on a fieldwork survey undertaken in 2001-2003 on the hayashi music of the Kikusui- boko festival float of Kyooto's Gion festival. This float is a hoko type, a large, wheeled, shrine-like structure on which gong, drum, and flute players ride, the whole structure surmounted by a mast-like decorative pole, the hoko .
The structure of this report as follows: a general overview of hayashi music; the bearers of the music tradition; the repertoire and its structure; the schedule of rehearsals and performances; the instruments, the performing ensemble, and the arrangement of the instruments on the float; performance practice (performance techniques; special body movements made by the drummers; kakegoe (signaling calls) and hayashi-kotoba which function as calls of encouragement, often with rhythmic and mnemonic significance; techniques for shifting from one piece to another and stopping the performance); kuchi-shooga (mnemonic solmization) and notation; the transmission process and training; recent changes in the hayashi music; the significance of participation in performance of the hayashi music; and the special characteristics of the hayashi music of the Kikusui- boko .
The Kikusui- boko was restored after World War II. Therefore, there are special characteristics not found in other hoko s. First, there is a tendency to minute performance of pieces introduced from the Tsuki- hoko and are almost identical with this repertoire. In spite of this, the musicians are trying to differentiate the Tsuki- hoko- oriented repertoire and have characteristically reconstructed some the Kikusui- boko- oriented repertoire from mid-nineteen century notation.
Second, as the musicians are free from the pressure of the tradition of the Kyooto's Gion festival, the Kikusui- boko has introduced a new system which differs form other hoko s. The Trinity System, in which all players must learn all instruments, is a typical example. This system has contributed to significantly the transmission and training of the hayashi music, as well as the and management of the orgaization, and is thus noteworthy as new method.
Key Words: Gion-bayashi, festival music, festival floats
