Homage To Taiko
pj & roy“We remain in awe of the drum and what it’s allowed us to share with the world.”
“We devised a way to make our first taiko drums, learning from Kinnara Taiko and other early drum makers. For the first 25 years or so, taiko groups made their own drums. This was their initiation and certainly ours.
Henry Nakata’s drum-making instructions provided a great foundation for us. We are also grateful to Henry and Mark Miyoshi who helped us to evolve our drum design and for the drums they made for us in later years.
Taiko is like no other instrument. We continue to be in awe of its power and grace and ways to be creative with its sound, shape, and style.”
“Taiko is a reflection of who we are and the spirit of the generations who came before us.”
“Taiko is an instrument that needs to be played and gets better with time and use. You get to know it intimately.”
“We are expressing ourselves through taiko and the taiko is also expressing who we are.”
“We learned to take care of every drum with meticulous care, rigor, and consistency from the moment we removed it from the storage rack to the moment we put it back. We follow the same practices to this day.”
ROYIt’s a special feeling knowing that we play on drums we have built together with many helping hands. When you make a drum you become connected to it and you want to bring it to life.”
PJ“We wouldn’t have taiko if it wasn’t for Mother Earth.
Taiko comes from nature and reconnects us to the natural elements of wood, animal, and minerals. When I play taiko, I feel the earth’s energy coming through my body and energizing me.
We must be kind to Mother Earth, she’s the only planet with taiko.”
Reverence for Taiko
Haiku by Pear Urushima
Fearless, humble drum
In your womb, my spirit wakes
Show me who I am