Zildjian Festival 2023 Event Report

The mood of self-restraint has gradually eased, and the wearing of masks has finally come to be respected as an individual decision. As it was the 400th anniversary of Zildjian, I, a cymbal enthusiast, was very excited to attend the festival! Here is my report on the event.

As soon as I entered the venue, I saw an information board!
The live area looks like it is not accessible right now as they are having a rehearsal.
Let's take a look at the symbolic exhibits on the 4th floor entrance in turn.

The first thing I noticed in the symbolic display area was Steve Gadd's signature drum kit!
He uses this drum kit when he comes to Japan.
This is a rare and precious item, and I was so excited to see it!

In the symbolic exhibition area, there was a corner where visitors could play not only cymbals but also percussion instruments such as drums and matching cymbals that created an enjoyable atmosphere even if they had no previous experience with musical instruments.

Suddenly, what do you think these lumpy things are?

Perhaps the more perceptive people will recognize it immediately!

The arrow pointing to this object in this image is the lumpy rocks I just mentioned.
You can see that as you go to the right, it changes into that thing you guessed!

You can see how it is being stretched flat and drilled in the center.
Furthermore, they must have cut out the unnecessary parts and cut them out neatly while shaping them.

Once the hammering and other processing, logo and other text are added, the cymbal is ready to go!

It is only at the Zildjian Festival, a cymbal festival, that you can see cymbals in the process of being made, something that is usually difficult to see!
Seeing how instruments are made might make your playing more profound!

Now, let's go next to the instrument display and try-out area in the 5th floor exhibition area!
As I went up the escalator, I saw a lot of instruments, but today is the Zildjian Festival!
There were so many cymbals on display!

I was allowed to try out all of the instruments, so I played them from one side to the other.
Personally, I have always liked the long sound of the Constantinople series, but my feelings remained the same even after comparing them!

I was surprised at the number of Zildjian products on the information board.
I can feel the weight of a manufacturer celebrating its 400th anniversary.

One of the attractions of this year's show was the display of new products, which visitors could try out ahead of others.
These are the S Dark Cymbal 14-inch hi-hat, scheduled for release in spring 2023, and the 16-inch crash cymbal from the same series. The hammering and surface finish give it an original presence! They feature the dark and dry sound that modern drummers are looking for.
I’m looking forward to its release.

Many drum sets were also on display at this year's Zildjian Festival.
This is the Arcadia Acrylic Drum Kit made of NATAL acrylic shells!

Today was overwhelming probably due to its visual impact, and attracted crowds of people all the time.

Not only live drums but also electronic drums were on display, and this is YAMAHA's DTX series.

This is a high-end model with a mesh pad, so I couldn't help but take a hit at it.

In addition, percussion products and snare cases were also on display, making for a very exciting floor.
This is NATAL percussion and I was able to freely play instruments like a cajón, conga, bongo, timbales, and so on.

Snare drums, cases, and drum mats were also on display, and the cases could be opened to look inside.

The last stop was the live and free sessions held in the live area.

The live performances included SATOKO of FUZZY CONTROL, Kei Bando of T-SQUARE, KAGEMARU and Ryo Kanda of ZIGZAG, and of course drum solos, sessions and drum battles among the performers, which you would never be able to see if you miss this! It was a series of hot special performances that you will never be able to see if you miss it!

After the live performance, there was a free drum session competition, but unfortunately I had to leave the venue to make my train home.
However, the Zildjian Festival was a very happy day for me, and I had a lot of valuable experiences.
I hope to have the chance to attend another event like this! Everyone, if you ever get the chance yourself, you should go to this festival at least once!