ABOUT UZUME TAIKO
Since 1988, UZUME TAIKO has enthralled audiences at festivals, schools, concerts and special events nationally and internationally with its dynamic synthesis of music, movement and theatre.
The name Uzume Taiko derives from the Japanese word for "big drum" and from the goddess of laughter, Ame No Uzume No Mikoto - the Heavenly Alarming Female who, according to legend, first began taiko drumming. Taiko has held a centuries-old place in Japanese culture, and it is from the power and athleticism of traditional drumming techniques that Uzume Taiko draws its inspiration. Using a diverse collection of percussive and melodic instruments as well as taiko drums, Uzume has developed a dynamic fusion of old and new styles of drumming - bringing a vibrant contemporary sensibility to an ancient art. With the choreographed physicality of martial arts, the heart-stopping pulse of the O-Daiko and the rhythmic sensitivity of a jazz ensemble, the drummers of Uzume Taiko create an exhilarating sensual experience.
Performance highlights include local concerts at the Vancouver Playhouse, Vogue Theatre and Vancouver East Cultural Centre, for the Vancouver Folk Music Festival and International Jazz Festival, tours to the United States, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Channel Islands and Japan from 1990 to the present, with performances at the Japan America Theatre in Los Angeles, the Lemon Tree in Aberdeen, Scotland, at the Bath Festival in the UK and the prestigious Chautauqua Festival in New York State.
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