History of Taiko
With the power of an elemental force of nature, men and women play with
the passion of complete abandon, fully committing their bodies and
spirits to the beautiful, precise choreography and powerful, surging
rhythms expressed by taiko. Using a background of thunderous drums,
graceful movement and colorful pageantry, Burlington Taiko provides a
unique opportunity for entertainment and education.
Taiko - Japanese for “big drum”- is a relatively modern revival of
ancient Japanese drumming traditions. The drums originally developed in
India, where they were used in religious ceremony to represent the voice
of the Buddha. Moving across China and Korea with the spread of
Buddhism, taiko arrived in Japan around 500 AD.
Taiko quickly became part of Japanese culture; spiritual healers played
taiko to dispel evil spirits and drive insects from the rice fields;
Samurai employed taiko to instill fear in the enemy and courage in
themselves; villagers used taiko to in their prayers for rain and in
thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest. Over time, many areas developed
unique choreography and rhythms celebrating festivals or recreations of
historic events.
In modern times, taiko has emerged as a performing art. Groups such as
Osuwa Daiko led by Grandmaster Daihachi Oguchi and Sukeroku Taiko
of Tokyo pioneered the way in the early 50’s collecting local festival
rhythms and transforming them into stage performance pieces.
In the early 60’s groups such as Ondekoza and Kodo began astonishing
world audiences, showcasing an almost superhuman style of taiko fostered
by living a disciplined communal life dedicated exclusively to taiko.
Taiko was introduced to North America over forty years ago by
Grandmaster Seiichi Tanaka, a student of Oguchi Sensei and founder of
the San Francisco Taiko Dojo. His seminal leadership and passionate
style of play are largely responsible for the popularity of taiko in
North America today.
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