CulturalFest Spotlight: Taiko Kai
The FIUTS CulturalFest on February 19 will feature 11 performing artists and groups who will share cultures from around the world on the Meany Hall stage at the Performance Showcase. At the International Expo, taking place the same day, numerous cultural booths at the UW HUB share over 35 different cultures through music, dance, food, conversation, and interactive activities.
This week, we will be sharing more about the remaining performers who will be sharing their talents at CulturalFest. Today the spotlight is on Taiko Kai.
Meet Taiko Kai, a group from the University of Washington whos style stems from both traditional and contemporary uses of taiko drumming.
“Taiko Kai plays with a style that stems from both traditional and contemporary uses of taiko drumming. Taiko has a long history of being used in festivals, ceremonies, and theatre but current taiko groups continue to develop the art form by writing and performing songs inspired by jazz, hip-hop, and more modern sounds. We hope to foster an appreciation of taiko drumming as an art form that is both traditional and still very much alive today by playing songs that showcase this.
Taiko Kai sees CulturalFest as a great opportunity for our members to experience performing in a more formal setting, as many of our performances are in a casual setting. CulturalFest is also a way in which we share the hard work we put into our art with the greater Seattle and UW community. Especially since this is our first time performing back in-person since 2019, we’re excited to finally be able to play in front of a live audience. We love the ability to reach others through our rhythms and energy—especially on a large college campus like the UW—and we hope you feel the same joy we have for taiko!
Taiko drumming has a long history in Japan and is used as a part of various celebrations and ceremonies. In the last century, taiko players began playing together in ensembles, using drums of varying size, which developed into the style now called kumi-daiko or group drumming. Taiko was brought over to North America by Japanese immigrants where it had a growth in popularity in the 1960s as Japanese-Americans sought to reconnect with their Japanese heritage in the wake of the civil rights movement.
In North America, taiko drumming, while still very similar to taiko drumming found in Japan, has since developed styles and stances more commonly found on this side of the Pacific. Today, many taiko groups including ours draw inspiration from traditional taiko patterns, folk dance movements, as well as more contemporary rhythms. Our uniforms include hachimaki (headbands), happi (coat or vest), and tabi (split-toed slippers) which are reminiscent of clothing workmen or festival-goers in old Japan might have worn.
Although taiko drumming is primarily a musical art, there are many other components that go into the visuals aspects. Many of our songs involve choreography like arm and body movements. Although some rhythms may be simple, they are complicated to perform because of specific choreography and dynamics. In experiencing taiko audibly, visually, and physically, audiences will be blown away by the power and spirit of the art form.
Another thing to note is that almost half of our performers started playing taiko just last October. For many of them, this is their first performance, so we’re excited to showcase these wonderful individuals in tandem with our returning performing members!
We always have a blast performing, and we hope the audience has just as much fun watching us play.”
Performers:
Jason Aochi, Alina Butler, Jason Chinn, Michael Duan, Jonathan Kim, Lily Lockwood, Sam Mak, Daniel Liu, Joanne Liu, Asa Madarang, Noa Roth, Kie Shin, Kai Snevoll, Owen Tanaka, Souma Yabuki, Anna Yates
CULTURALFEST TICKET INFORMATION:
Interested in seeing the Peking Opera and the other talented performers? Learn more here or buy tickets below!
*To make this in-person event as safe as possible, we are working with all our partners in implementing safety measures. Proof of vaccination against COVID will be required upon entry to Meany Hall for the CulturalFest Performance Showcase. Masks will also be required upon entry. Read more at fiuts.org/cf for detailed COVID precautions.