What is taiko?
Literally meaning "drum," the taiko is known for its thunderous sound and stunning, stylized choreography. With a 2,000 year-old history, taiko has its roots in Japanese court, theater, religious/ceremonial and festival music, where the taiko was just one instrument of many that comprised the ensembles that performed this music. In the mid-20th century, the kumi-daiko style evolved, which featured ensembles made up solely of drums. Since then, kumi-daiko has enjoyed tremendous popularity and in the US it has become a celebrated symbol of heritage and culture for the Japanese American community.
JASC Tsukasa Taiko is unique in that it performs not only kumi-daiko, but other forms of music employing additional instruments with a shared tradition in Japanese folk and classical music, such as the three-stringed instrument shamisen. The sound of the shamisen is similar in some respects to that of the American banjo in that the drum-like skin-covered body amplifies the sound of the strings, and at its lower register reminiscent of the buzzing of the Indian sitar.
Another instrument JASC Tsukasa Taiko employs is the transverse bamboo flute shinobue. Known for emitting a very high-pitched sound, the shinobue holds a prominent role in noh and kabuki theater music as well as matsuri festival music.
With these instruments, JASC Tsukasa Taiko performs music that includes ozashiki (chamber music), minyo (folk music) and ohayashi (classical/folk/theater music) styles, representing many Japanese musical traditions that are now rarely heard. JASC Tsukasa Taiko is proud to have a role in the preservation, development and presentation of these cultural art forms.
JASC Tsukasa Taiko
JASC Tsukasa Taiko
is the leading taiko ensemble in the Chicago area. Basing its operations out of the Japanese American Service Committee of Chicago, JASC Tsukasa Taiko's mission is to preserve and pass on the traditional concepts of taiko as a cultural legacy and to utilize these concepts in expanding and evolving the taiko form. Dedicated to building community and being a leader in the taiko drumming culture of the Midwest, it maintains a national profile by presenting public performances across the country throughout the year.
JASC Tsukasa Taiko has performed at the Smithsonian, San Francisco's Yerba Buena Gardens, the Saint Louis Art Museum, the Chicago Jazz Festival, and Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art among many other national cultural institutions. It presents classes, workshops, lectures, and demonstrations on taiko performance and its role in Asian and Asian American culture. Taiko classes are organized quarterly throughout the year for all levels of experience, for ages five and above. For more information, please visit www.tsukasataiko.com or www.taikolegacy.com.
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