rss feedJapanese taiko drumming – simply worth it
I’ll admit it: Since I was a kid, I loved watching Japanese taiko drumming. The beat. The movement. The booms.
You name it. It has everything a person would want out of a musical art.
So when I heard that The School of TAIKO would perform on Friday at Uwajimaya in Seattle, well, I made sure that my family and I were there.
They were performing as part of the market’s Japanese outdoor summer festival – and there’s another performance scheduled for 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 28.
Drop by if you’re in the neighborhood. Or just have a look at these video clips.
I had never heard of this particular group before. But one glance at the musicians showed that they’re a sharp, precise group.
The school is lead by Ringtaro Tateishi, who apparently has performed throughout the world including at Walt Disney World for seven years.
I’m just glad that my family and I had an opportunity to be in the audience.
Even now, as an adult, I could watch these clips over and over.
By the way, if you want to see more videos of The School of TAIKO, the group has its own YouTube channel.
There are drumming videos posted, as well as a few of Japan playing in the World Cup.
Over on Vimeo, Les Fitzpatrick has posted some great clips of another Seattle taiko group – Seattle Kokon Taiko.
And if you want to see more taiko in the Seattle area, check out my website to see a list of upcoming performances: http://seattletaiko.info
Lots of good stuff coming up soon. Don’t miss Aki Matsuri in 2 weeks at Bellevue College.