Great explanation and tutorial! Thank you!! They had this dance this year at the festival and it looked like fun! I can practice now and hope to join in next year!
Not sure why anyone would give a thumbs down. This is one of the clearest and easiest to follow instructions of Ei Ja Nai Ka I have seen. Great job and thank you!
Oh, thank you very much! I hope it was helpful. I think since our event, I've had better insights on the modifications for mobility, too. So always room to improve. I hope you continue to enjoy Obon dancing, and thank you for your comment!
@@queserasera3 not that I am aware of~ We’re the Wada from Orange County Buddhist Church. Thanks for asking. I really love the San Jose community, but I’m not originally from NorCal. Love it, though!
Ei Ja Nai Ka (ええじゃないか) means "isn't it good?" I guess the "Ei" might be "ee" but it's kind of a regionalization of "Ii," I think. So "good." As a musical phrase, "eijanaika" references lyrics from Awa Odori, which in the full context is kind of like "So why not dance?" Eijanaika references a historical folk dance movement around the transition from the Edo to Meiji periods, in which working-class (farming class) populations had large and wild celebrations, despite resistance from the upper class. Contextually, in this song, I think it carries both a bit of joyful celebration and resistance/persistence connotations.
@@gregory_wada Gregory, thank you so much for details! So interesting. That will add even more charm to the song/dance whenever I see it performed, thanks to your explanation! You are very knowlegable, it's so cool. (How did you learn all that additional knowledge? Just through your taiko groups and senseis? Or did you study things by yourself? Like taiko history, songs roots, etc) PS: I also watched your video on composing in Garageband. Your piece is very nice! Some parts reminded me the 'vibe' of some Kodo songs, another part - something from African rhythms. It was interesting to experience that feeling. The world music is intertwined, I think, which is amazing :) /Natalie
@@JulyTotoro I've been going to San Jose Obon for about ten years now, which really let the song sink in over time. San Jose Taiko and the Betsuin bring out collegiate taiko teams every year, which I think is so great for bringing young players into these meaningful community spaces. I have had the privilege of learning from PJ and San Jose Taiko over the years, too. I took a deeper dive into this song and Bon music through personal study as part of protest work we did with Tsuru for Solidarity in 2020 - kind of following a vein of moving in community as a way to build solidarity and celebrate Asian American joy and belonging. My academic background is in Anthropology, and I'm interested in Ethnomusicology, as well. So kind of just the intersection of art, study, and life. Thank you for your interest! This video was initially for other participants at a protest we did, but I'm glad it has reached other audiences. I do want to uplift PJ as the author (and Yoko Fujimoto as the lyricist), though! I am indebted to them!
@@gregory_wada Gregory, I see! It makes sense. It's amazing how everything has connected in your life! It's great. I love how enriched the taiko community environment is in the U.S. I hear you - I also have and had great teachers, very grateful to them for skills and knowledge that I've learnt thanks to them. I share your feeling of appreciation and gratitude. Thank you again for making this video and for all the details! It's interesting and I already learned something new :) I found you through the Taiyo's Odaiko fundraiser. I'm glad I went to have a look. Maybe I need to say thank-you to Taiyo too :) Thank you! Maybe we will meet one day. It will be a pleasure to talk to you. Ethnomusicology sounds interesting! I will google more on it. I feel it might have something that I wanted to learn more about but just didn't know how that thing is called :) Thank you! :) / Natalie
@@JulyTotoro Haha, Taiyo and I played in college together, and we were roommates for a while. Yeah, likewise, it was nice to meet you. Thank you for saying hello from Australia. Wishing you the best on your journey, and hopefully we’ll cross paths again.
Thanks a lot. I like the way you divided into each step. It is easier for us to follow.
Great explanation and tutorial! Thank you!! They had this dance this year at the festival and it looked like fun! I can practice now and hope to join in next year!
Thank you for this! 😊
Great video thank you
Tottemo ii desu ne!!! loved your dance. I am going to dance with u now!!!! easy steps..Ja mata !!!
Not sure why anyone would give a thumbs down. This is one of the clearest and easiest to follow instructions of Ei Ja Nai Ka I have seen. Great job and thank you!
Oh, thank you very much! I hope it was helpful. I think since our event, I've had better insights on the modifications for mobility, too. So always room to improve. I hope you continue to enjoy Obon dancing, and thank you for your comment!
Great job! I liked your singing at the end. Thanks for teaching us how to do the dance and a little about the history :)
Thank you, Gregory. Love this so much!
Thanks. It was helpful. I don't know how many years I've struggled with the net and the call and response parts!
Thank you! I'm glad it was helpful. I hope you can show off those moves again soon. :)
@@gregory_wada You wouldn't happen to be related to the Wada (Jack?) who taught aikido in San Jose, would you?
@@queserasera3 not that I am aware of~ We’re the Wada from Orange County Buddhist Church. Thanks for asking. I really love the San Jose community, but I’m not originally from NorCal. Love it, though!
@@gregory_wada Hmm. Interesting. Again, thanks for breaking it down! My granddaughters love this dance more than any other.
Thank you! Very nice explanation. What does "Ei" mean? Does the whole song name have a special meaning behind it? Thank you / Natalie
Ei Ja Nai Ka (ええじゃないか) means "isn't it good?" I guess the "Ei" might be "ee" but it's kind of a regionalization of "Ii," I think. So "good." As a musical phrase, "eijanaika" references lyrics from Awa Odori, which in the full context is kind of like "So why not dance?" Eijanaika references a historical folk dance movement around the transition from the Edo to Meiji periods, in which working-class (farming class) populations had large and wild celebrations, despite resistance from the upper class. Contextually, in this song, I think it carries both a bit of joyful celebration and resistance/persistence connotations.
@@gregory_wada Gregory, thank you so much for details! So interesting. That will add even more charm to the song/dance whenever I see it performed, thanks to your explanation! You are very knowlegable, it's so cool. (How did you learn all that additional knowledge? Just through your taiko groups and senseis? Or did you study things by yourself? Like taiko history, songs roots, etc)
PS: I also watched your video on composing in Garageband. Your piece is very nice! Some parts reminded me the 'vibe' of some Kodo songs, another part - something from African rhythms. It was interesting to experience that feeling. The world music is intertwined, I think, which is amazing :) /Natalie
@@JulyTotoro I've been going to San Jose Obon for about ten years now, which really let the song sink in over time. San Jose Taiko and the Betsuin bring out collegiate taiko teams every year, which I think is so great for bringing young players into these meaningful community spaces. I have had the privilege of learning from PJ and San Jose Taiko over the years, too. I took a deeper dive into this song and Bon music through personal study as part of protest work we did with Tsuru for Solidarity in 2020 - kind of following a vein of moving in community as a way to build solidarity and celebrate Asian American joy and belonging. My academic background is in Anthropology, and I'm interested in Ethnomusicology, as well. So kind of just the intersection of art, study, and life. Thank you for your interest! This video was initially for other participants at a protest we did, but I'm glad it has reached other audiences. I do want to uplift PJ as the author (and Yoko Fujimoto as the lyricist), though! I am indebted to them!
@@gregory_wada Gregory, I see! It makes sense. It's amazing how everything has connected in your life! It's great. I love how enriched the taiko community environment is in the U.S. I hear you - I also have and had great teachers, very grateful to them for skills and knowledge that I've learnt thanks to them. I share your feeling of appreciation and gratitude.
Thank you again for making this video and for all the details! It's interesting and I already learned something new :) I found you through the Taiyo's Odaiko fundraiser. I'm glad I went to have a look. Maybe I need to say thank-you to Taiyo too :)
Thank you! Maybe we will meet one day. It will be a pleasure to talk to you. Ethnomusicology sounds interesting! I will google more on it. I feel it might have something that I wanted to learn more about but just didn't know how that thing is called :)
Thank you! :) / Natalie
@@JulyTotoro Haha, Taiyo and I played in college together, and we were roommates for a while. Yeah, likewise, it was nice to meet you. Thank you for saying hello from Australia. Wishing you the best on your journey, and hopefully we’ll cross paths again.