WHAT IS TAIKO?
Japanese drumming known as Taiko, is a visually spectacular art form, which originated in the festivals and rituals of the agricultural society of ancient Japan. Unlike other "˜high-cultural' art forms such as the Kabuki, Noh Dancing or Tea Ceremony, Taiko culture is community-based, and the most widely practiced' popular-cultural' art form in contemporary Japanese society. It is played as part of local festivals in virtually every district throughout Japan, and local Taiko masters have passed on its techniques orally for many hundreds of years. Most performers at such festivals are non-professional, local residents, and many of them are school children. Taiko plays a strong role in promoting a sense of community, and cultivating teamwork skills among the local residents.
Over the last fifty years, Taiko has become internationally recognised as a form performance art, and many contemporary drumming groups have been formed both in Japan and many other countries. There are more than 8,000 Taiko groups in Japan, and several of them conduct international tours.