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Big Drum Articles—TAIKOPROJECT

TAIKOPROJECT: Not Your Mama’s Taiko This isn’t your mama’s taiko, but it may be your hip younger cousin’s. —LA Weekly The flashy appearance of sexily-clad female taiko players in national TV commercials for Mitsubishi Motors created a stir that people are still talking about. Backed by elaborate pyrotechnics, the young performers beat drums in a frenzy of thunderous sound and motion. The recent T...

Big Drum Articles—Kenny Endo

Kenny Endo: Connecting to Heritage through Music Working with artists in various genres, he has paved new directions in using the traditional taiko, bringing a refreshing and creative approach to music through his background in western, ethnic, and traditional Japanese drumming. —from the Taiko Center of the Pacific website Taiko has played a significant role in Japan’s music history, appearing in ...

Big Drum Articles—San Jose Taiko

San Jose Taiko: Embodying the Spirit of Taiko in America For San Jose Taiko, it all started over 30 years ago. After seeing a performance by Los Angeles’s Kinnara Taiko at a YBA (Young Buddhist Association) conference, Reverend Hiroshi Abiko was inspired to start something for the youth at San Jose Buddhist Church that was both musically and culturally interesting. He recruited Roy Hirabayashi and Dean Miyaku...

Big Drum Articles—Shasta Taiko

The Rhythms of Life: Shasta Taiko “This woman came up to me and said, ‘I don’t know why, but I just burst out crying when you were playing taiko,’” Jeanne Aiko Mercer says. “That happens a lot,” the pioneering taiko artist explains. “I think taiko is very healing. It’s a release, and I think people need that in their lives.” For Mercer and her husband Russel Baba, who founded the renowned Shasta Taiko g...

Big Drum Articles—Marco Lienhard

Marco Lienhard: Bridging Worlds with Music Marco Lienhard may have, at one time, seemed like an unlikely face in the world of Japanese taiko. He was born in Switzerland; he is not Japanese; he is not Asian. However, the rhythmic thundering of the taiko drums have become as natural to him as the sounds of his own heartbeats. Originally from Switzerland, Marco Lienhard joined an exchange program and went to...

Sugar/Islands

Learn more about the artists by exploring the bios, slideshows, and articles from JANM’s Discover Nikkei website below!

30th Anniversary Benefit - Auction

Auction Preview opens: Saturday, April 16 Bidding opens: Saturday, April 23 Bidding closes: 1 p.m. (PDT) on Sunday, May 1 JANM’s Online Auction is 100% digital and available to preview starting Saturday, April 16, and open for bidding on Saturday, April 23. Know if you’ve been outbid, no matter where you are. Set up automatic bidding and maximum bids to increase your chances of winning with the i...

Supernatural

Learn more about the artists featured in Supernatural through the articles from JANM’s Discover Nikkei website below!

Desire For Magic

Artist Patrick Nagatani When asked how he would describe himself, Sansei artist Patrick Nagatani immediately responds that he considers himself to be, first and foremost, a storyteller. Unlike the traditional photographer who is considered an objective recorder of reality, Nagatani carefully sets the stage for his photographs, collages, and multimedia pieces much like a movie director arranges a set and actor...

Portraiture Now - Artists

Learn more about the featured artists and view their artwork below.