Turn the beat around, Love to hear the percussion....

With the rat, tat, tat, tat, tat, tat on the drums. Last Thursday night was the taiko drum performance hosted by the Japan-America Society of Mississippi. Taiko means "drum" in Japanese (etymologically "great" or "wide drum").

Outside Japan, the word is often used to refer to any of the various Japanese drums and to the relatively recent art-form of ensemble taiko drumming (sometimes called more specifically, "kumi-daiko"). Taiko is a dynamic music presentation that combines high energy movements to compelling percussive rhythms that embodies spiritual essence and the heartbeat of Japan and its people. While taiko is inevitably rooted in 3000 year old Japanese traditions that express beauty and harmony, the powerful sound of taiko is a living and evolving art form that is rapidly permeating the entire world.


Japanese history begins with the legend of Amaterasu Omikami - a Sun Goddess that illuminated the world from total darkness by her overwhelming curiosity of an unusual dance to the beat of taiko. Samurai warriors used taiko at battlefields to signal commands and to instill fears into the enemy. People communicated by using taiko to signal danger, and priests used taiko at ceremonies to communicate with the heavenly gods. Temples and shrines throughout Japan display taiko as a symbol of purification and to dispel evil spirits. Until recently, striking the sacred taiko was limited to males of high stature and priests.

The Counsel General of Japan was at the performance as a special guest which made it even more special and a kabuki dancer also debuted as part of the producation. Thought I didn't bring my camera to the show, I snagged these photos from their website. Please visit the website to hear a clip of their performance. http://www.ilovetaiko.org/default.htm