by Benjamin Pachter One major characteristic of contemporary taiko performance is the manner in which artists have integrated regional drumming styles into new arrangements and compositions, which in turn has exposed audiences around the world to some of the diverse ways in which drums are used in Japanese music. In works like “Suwa Ikazuchi,” Osuwa Daiko utilized rhythms from kagura-daiko – the drumming of Shinto … Continue reading Chichibu Yatai Bayashi
The boom of Brazilian taiko started in 2002. Since then, the number of taiko groups kept growing. Not only the amount of groups and players but their technical level also has grown. I think that the “Brazilian Taiko Championship” (BTC) played a huge role in that evolution. The 1st BTC took place in São Paulo in 2004 with more than 20 groups involved and just … Continue reading Brazilian Taiko Championship
This year, over 800 taiko players from all over the United States, Canada, Japan, South America and the United Kingdom enjoyed over 48 workshops, two concerts, various jam sessions, lectures and panel discussions that took place on the campus of Stanford University. Due to the great diversity of activities, I imagine that most participants at this year’s conference had a wide variety of experiences. What … Continue reading 2011 North American Taiko Conference
In 1970, the groundbreaking wadaiko group Ondekoza was founded as a means to raised funds in order to “create an artist’s village where people can learn about Japan’s folk performance arts and industrial arts” (Kodo Cultural Foundation 2011, 37). Performers learned music performance techniques and received dance and movement instruction from Japanese classical (hōgaku) musicians, but they also learned regional musical and dance styles from … Continue reading “Miyake” & Kodo’s Continued Arrangement of Regional Drumming Styles
Taiko in the UK The idea of taiko in the UK might surprise a lot of people. In most places where taiko has taken root outside Japan, it has been through the efforts of those with Japanese heritage. There are many stories of people reconnecting with their roots and expressing their cultural identity through taiko in both North and South America. In the UK, however, … Continue reading The UK Taiko Festival
the taiko magazine 