Thursday, July 09th, 2009 – Portland Taiko
The ancient Japanese tradition of taiko drumming takes on a distinctive new style with the Portland Taiko Ensemble, the Pacific Northwest’s only professional taiko company.
Formed in 1994, the ensemble weaves rhythm, melody, humor and movement together into an exhilarating musical experience. By combining traditional and contemporary compositions and choreography, the performers take Asian—American music into unexplored territory.
Taiko, the Japanese word for drum and the name of the art form, was used in ancient religious ceremonies, community festivals and theater. The boundaries of the villages were defined by the distance from which the community taiko could be heard. Taiko drumming crossed the ocean to America in the late ‘60s.
In addition to its artistry performances, Portland Taiko has pioneered a unique community involvement process called the ‘Rock the Boat project,’ which challenges racism through voice, movement, stories, image and taiko.
The popular ensemble reaches more than 70,000 people a year at festivals, schools, theaters, colleges and fairs.
* This is a joint effort production! In order to bring high quality entertainment at affordable prices, we have collaborated with the Lopez Center and Orcas Center to present Portland Taiko at each island theatre. Support from the San Juan County Lodging Tax Fund assists in those team efforts
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