Indy's International Festival
"Tradition & Innovation"
November 2-5, 2006
Cultural Displays Entertainment Ethnic Foods Global Bazaar Education Sponsors
AAA and the Nationalities Council of Indiana announce San Jose Taiko will perform at the 2006 International Festival
San Jose Taiko has mesmerized audiences and critics with the powerful, spellbinding and propulsive sounds of the taiko drums for three decades. Inspired by traditional Japanese drumming, company performers express the beauty and harmony of the human spirit through the voice of the taiko as they strive to create new dimensions in movement and music.
San Jose Taiko was founded in 1973 by young Asian Americans searching for an artistic and musical outlet to convey their unique experiences as third generation Japanese Americans, or Sansei. Looking to Japan for inspiration, they selected the symbolic taiko or drum as their instrument of expression.
As a symbol, taiko holds much of the essence and spirit of Japan, replete with continued possibilities, renewal and transformation. Its origins were found in the daily life of the common people. Priests used taiko to dispel evil spirits and insects from the rice fields; Samurai used taiko to instill fear in the enemy and courage in themselves; and the peasants used taiko in their prayers for rain, in festivals, and in thanksgiving for bountiful harvests. The traditional practice and performance of taiko requires dedication, physical endurance, harmony and a collective spirit.
San Jose Taiko has taken this essence and voice of the traditional taiko and infused it with the vitality and freshness of their American spirit, creating a dynamic and compelling new Asian American art form. The artists use the power and beauty of taiko to transcend cultural barriers and foster a greater understanding of the Japanese American culture. Taiko is so deeply a part of the traditions of the Japanese and the Shinto and Buddhist religions that it is considered to be both the essence and the heartbeat of the Japanese spirit.
For a peek at a performance, check YouTube!
Here's the 2006 entertainment schedule.
Click here to return to main Festival page.
(created 25 May 2006)
(this page: last updated 14 October 2006)
Questions? Contact webmaster.
�Nationalities Council of Indiana, Inc.