Dulsori
Binari
OzAsia Festival
Festival Theatre
Sat 29 Sept


Billed as an Asian drumming sensation, I expected a performance along the lines of Taiko - hugely powerful rhythms thundering the mortar loose from between the bricks of the Festival Theatre, flailing limbs and a spectacular lightshow.

Some of the description I'd built up in my mind's eye was correct: flailing limbs beat the massed drums into submission, but the South Korean ensemble Dulsori offer a great deal more than just drums. Comprising six performers (five women and a token man), they begin their performance in the obligatory way; working their polyrhythms through the large upright drums as the crowd warmed to the occasion, and the performance.

Attending OzAsia events means, I've discovered, small but enthusiastic crowds, for this is a festival whose time might not yet have come, but the concept is a valid and exciting one, and the programming of an Asian-centric festival a difficult one, fraught with challenges. It's enough to say that if the OzAsia Festival survives and comes back for years to come, it will grow and prosper. Though there remains a vast chasm between Australian and Asian cultures the signs of success are there, such that the clever programming which has characterised this inaugural festival must continue to draw together the threads.

I digress to this because Dulsori displayed a number of annoying features which I thought might condemn their performance in part, and yet they managed to pull a metaphorical cat out of their bag of tricks to make the conclusion a memorable event. My fault for doubting the ensemble, I guess; they've been performing since 1984, but obviously not with the same members.

The entire performance is based on the melodic and hypnotic effect of the drums - large and small - but for much of 'Binari' the focus is using that drumming base for a reinterpretation of traditional Korean folk music, augmented with stringed instruments, Asian flute and horn-like instruments, and a selection of smaller drums. It was, at times, a little twee, a little forced (the milking for applause moments, the neon smiles, and so on) and the singing (five women making sweet music) did begin to pale. But I'm not doubting either their enthusiasm or their capacity for sheer hard work. Dulsori worked as hard for their audience as any performance group I've ever seen.

And the cat in the bag? After the obligatory finale and handclapping bows, the entire ensemble left the stage, threaded their way up the side of the auditorium and lead the entire audience out into the Festival Theatre foyer for a massive conga line and celebratory ovation. Quite marvellous.

Alex Wheaton