TaikoFest Continued

The opening act at TaikoFest was the Rhythm Summit Trio. The trio performed three songs: Noon Cycles, East Meets West, and The Ubiquitous. Although I had seen the trio perform these songs last year, I think their overall sound and performance has improved. Maybe this difference can be partially attributed to the venue change (The Hawaii Theatre vs. The Design Center). Nevertheless, I appreciated the intensity and energy the musicians brought to each piece. I could tell from their big smiles and frequent head nods that they enjoyed playing on stage together. Noel Okimoto's performance in "East Meets West" was particularly memorable. He is the top jazz drummer in Hawaii and rightfully so. He plays so many different instruments (drums, vibraphones, percussion) and seems to have mastered them all.


The Rhythm Summit Trio was followed by the Taiko Center of the Pacific Youth Group, a very talented group ranging from age 5 to 18 years old. Some members have recently taken up taiko and others have been playing for as long as 12 years!!! If only my parents put me in taiko class at age 5...what was I doing instead? I was involved with pee wee tennis, soccer, and tap dancing. lol.


The next performers came all the way from Hachijo island in Japan. I was expecting a large taiko troupe, but there were only three members of Hachijo Daiko: two men and one woman. Despite being blind, the leader of the group sings and plays the drums with passion. Dressed in a pink yukata, the leader opened with a folk song about love. The syncopated rhythm of the song was reminiscent of Okinawan music (perhaps a characteristic of island music?) The eldest member may look old, but he is in great physical shape. Look at his trim legs! What can I say, taiko does a body good :D haha. Hachijo Daiko only used one drum in their performance. One person played the beat while the other person improvised. One thing I found rather disappointing was that the woman didn't get to solo. Sexism? I don't want to sound disrespectful of Japanese culture, but come on, how on earth is a woman expected to play taiko wearing a kimono?!? How restrictive. I've always been told to wear loose/comfortable clothing to taiko class...sigh. The Taiko Center of the Pacific offered a special 2 hour workshop with Hachijo Daiko yesterday morning. I was looking forward to attending, but I had the worst cramps and decided not to go. :(


The Kenny Endo Taiko Ensemble (KETE) concluded the show with a lively performance complete with dramatic lighting, fancy outfits, and creative choreography. My favorite piece was "Yodan Uchi," composed by Sukeroku Taiko and arranged by Taiko Center of the Pacific. I love the dynamic movement and drumming style displayed in this piece. In order to play "Yodan Uchi," the drums are placed sideways and struck on both ends. Towards the end of the piece, a single drum is being hit by two people facing opposite one another. See picture above.