Developing Chicago's Taiko culture with MCA
First of all, we are so glad to be back!
Thank you for attending JASC Tsukasa Taiko's Taiko Legacy 5, presented by Asian Improv aRts Midwest with our fabulous partner the Museum of Contemporary Art. Taiko Legacy 5 is our most ambitious presentation yet because of you the audience. For the first time, popular demand provided us the wonderful opportunity to add a second performance.
Creating new artistic paradigm and future for taiko music in Chicago was one of the main line items which founder Hide Yoshihashi and I faced more than ten years ago. How do we expand our wonderful community arts to the next level, maintaining the roots in the community cultural identity and yet further expand the artistic excellence to the general public and share the wealth of this wonderful art? I have dreamed the day when we can cultivate high caliber taiko artist and bring to the front line of the art scene in Chicago.
MCA has been generous and venturous to work with us, and helped spawn the history of Taiko Legacy on this very same stage. The first venture was for my Basser Live project in 1996 with drummer John Sagami, the first taiko drummer to be exposed in the mainstream venue. In 2001, my inaugural MIYUMI project Big Band: Origins of Now introduced taiko masters Hide Yoshihashi, Jason Matsumoto, and Ryan Toguri to this stage. In 2003, the first and largest taiko concert of its kind, US-JAPAN 150, in commemoration of the centennial US-Japan relations was presented at the MCA and featured Tsukasa Taiko and Gen Taiko. In 2004 Taiko Legacy II at the MCA introduced current JASC Tsukasa Taiko leader, Amy Homma, followed in 2006 by my Basser Live II concert at MCA. Without this collaborative development, you would not have seen JASC Tsukasa Taiko in other major venues in Chicago area. There is no place like home…to celebrate our glorious Taiko Legacy 5 here at MCA.
We are so very pleased to have you share in what is a significant annual benchmark for JASC Tsukasa Taiko. Each year we continue to expand the definition of what taiko as a Japanese and North American art form can achieve through our continuing collaborations with a number of treasured art forms, from butoh dance to Nagauta shamisen music to Japanese classical dance as well as 21st century experimental music. This year, Taiko Legacy's fifth, is a momentous occasion for celebrating the twin achievements your patronage has made possible: the recognition of taiko as an art form and its sustainability throughout the Midwest. A very humble arigato gozaimasu to all of you.
Tatsu Aoki
Executive Director
Basser Live
Tatsu Aoki (99)
Rooted Origins of Now
The Miyumi Project Big Band (01)
Basser Live II
Tatsu Aoki (05)
see Aoki's full Discographyl @ tatsuaoki.com/discography.html
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Donate now to support JASC Tsukasa Taiko!
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