Wherever they perform, the taiko drummers clear the air with traditional Japanese drumming. “Taiko” in Japanese means drum.
Drumming is as old as man. Many peoples have their traditions with the instrument: Native Americans, Mongols, Europeans, and many more. The culture of drumming spans the world.
Brad Amano, of the L.A. Matsuri Taiko group, said that there are dozens of taiko drumming groups in Southern California, and there are thousands of groups in Japan.
The L.A. Matsuri Taiko group has 23 members, 16 of whom perform. According to Evelyn Goto, one of the female members, “Ten years ago, there were only men in the drum ensemble.” She said that it was traditionally a man’s instrument, but there are six female members now.
Master Etsuo Hongo, the founder and leader of L.A. Matsuri Taiko, brought his taiko drumming from Japan and started the original L.A. Matsuri Taiko in 1977. His style is described as “one with powerful sounds, various challenges in techniques, exciting movement, and visual presentation like no other,” according to the group’s website.
Hongo’s teaching goes beyond performance and technique. It encompasses traditional aspects, including discipline, etiquette, and the spirit of the drum, all of which are considered equally important in taiko. Hongo composes most of the pieces performed by the group.
The drums are of traditional designs, enhanced by Hongo’s own innovations over time. There are three drums in taiko: The o-daiko is a large tank drum on stilts, which is played by two people, one on each end. The chu-daiko is a type of kettle drum, and the shime-daiko is like a snare drum in size and shape.
According to Amano, there is the traditional musical daiko style from Japan, but each master develops his own musical style and may make various innovations in their drum making.
Amano said, “New players start by playing on tires and stay there for a minimum of six months before they begin to play on the drums. Like any instrument, everyone learns at their own pace. We meet twice a week to practice and improve our performance.” L. A. Matsuri Taiko has 15 to 20 performances annually.
Nick Tasaka-Mejia, a biology major at Cal Poly in Pomona, Calif., said he had been drumming for over eight years. He grew up around musicians and became interested in playing the taiko drums as a teenager. He plays all three types of drums in the group.
Nick says he changed a lot from participating with the taiko drummers. He sees this as a very positive experience in his life. The initial challenge was the discipline. “It’s challenging, but it’s worth it,” he said.
Most striking to him was the “group dynamic” as he called it. Camaraderie seems to be the best word to describe it. It has kept the group together. Some have been in the group for over 40 years. The youngest drummer is 9 years old, and several elders are in their 60s.
Goto said, “I enjoy the spirit or energy of the group. It’s a very internal experience for me and brings the mental and spiritual aspects together. We also work together to help each other.” She believes this is the reason few ever leave the ensemble.
For more information, see Lamatsuritaiko.com/index.html.
