Denver Taiko is the fourth

taiko are a broad range of Traditional Japanese musical instruments, Japanese percussion instruments. In Japanese language, Japanese, the term refers to any kind of drum, but outside Japan, it is used specifically to refer to any of the various J ...

group founded in

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and the first taiko ensemble outside of

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

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. The group has a close partnership with the Tri-State Denver Buddhist Temple and performs throughout Colorado and neighboring states. In 2001, Denver Taiko received the Excellence in the Arts Award from Denver Mayor

Wellington Webb Wellington E. Webb (born February 17, 1941) is an American politician. He served in the Colorado House of Representatives and was the first African American mayor of Denver, Colorado, serving from 1991 to 2003. He served as a Democrat. Early li ...

. Today, Denver Taiko is an ensemble of third, fourth, and fifth generation

Japanese Americans are Americans of Japanese ancestry. Japanese Americans were among the three largest Asian Americans, Asian American ethnic communities during the 20th century; but, according to the 2000 United States census, 2000 census, they have declined in ...

with a shared interest in honoring their Japanese American cultural heritage. "Denver Taiko , Taiko Groups , Discover Nikkei." DiscoverNikkei.org. Web. 21 Feb. 2012. .*"Denver Taiko." Denver Colorado Insights, News, Reviews & Specials. 23 Apr. 2011. Web. 21 Feb. 2012. .

Early history

Denver Taiko was the fourth seminal taiko group in North America. Many of the original members were

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alumni, and most of the group's original founders worked with the Community Action Research Program (CARP) in Denver. One of CARP's members, Mark Miyoshi had met with San Jose Taiko, the third taiko group founded in North America, and was impressed with San Jose Taiko's presentation of taiko. The members of San Jose Taiko taught Mark Miyoshi a fundamental taiko piece written by Seiichi Tanaka Sensei titled "Renshu," and gave him instructions or building taiko drums. In the fall of 1975, Mark Miyoshi met with six friends to learn Renshu and to try taiko drumming for the first time. The original members of Denver Taiko included Joyce Masunaga, Mark Miyoshi, Naomi Nakano, Joyce Nakata, Nancy Ozaki, Elaine Takahashi, and Sue Taoka. In January 1976
Tri-State Denver Buddhist Temple
a member of the

Buddhist Churches of America The Buddhist Churches of America (abbreviated as BCA in English, or ''Beikoku Bukkyōdan'' in Japanese) is the United States branch of the Nishi Honganji subsect of Jōdo Shinshū ("True Pure Land School") Buddhism. The BCA headquarters is at ...

, welcomed the taiko group to its current location. In May 1976, the

San Francisco Taiko Dojo San Francisco Taiko Dojo, founded in 1968 by Grand Master Seiichi Tanaka, was the first taiko group in North America, and has been seen as the primary link between the Japanese and North American branches of the art form. Additionally, Tanaka's bel ...

accompanied a Koto performing group at a concert in Denver. The local taiko members asked Seiichi Tanaka Sensei to give the Denver members a workshop that included his philosophy of taiko, aspects of respect, the importance of ki (centering and spirit) and

kata ''Kata'' is a Japanese word ( 型 or 形) meaning "form". It refers to a detailed choreographed pattern of martial arts movements. It can also be reviewed within groups and in unison when training. It is practiced in Japanese martial arts ...

(technique). Additionally, he taught the group Matsuri Taiko and encouraged the group to compose their own songs and to perform in public. Three months later in August 1976, members of Kinnara Taiko from

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led another workshop for Denver Taiko. Reverend Masao Kodani, Kinnara's founder, led a seminar that emphasized the

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

perspective of taiko. In July 1976, the group performed in their first Obon festival. By that time, the group made four more drums and made their first set of

happi A is a traditional tube-sleeved Japanese coat, usually worn only during festivals. typically feature symbols and/or text on the lapels, with a larger design on the back of the coat, typically the name or the festival or the participating a ...

, obi, and

hachimaki A (headband, "helmet-scarf") is a type of Japanese headband, usually made of red or white cloth, typically featuring a design of kanji at the front. History The origin of the ''hachimaki'' is uncertain, but the most common theory states th ...

. As they performed their two-song repertoire, they were introducing a traditional art form that had been missing from the Denver Obon for decades. In the subsequent years, the group continued to develop their technique and repertoire. Members went to visit other taiko groups and performers such as San Jose Taiko and Roy Hirabayashi to bring back new ideas for performing and rehearsing. The group has also hosted taiko groups and solo performers such as Oedo Sukeroku, On Ensemble, TaikoProject and

Kenny Endo Kenny Endo (born April 2, 1953) is an American musician and taiko master. He is the leader of several taiko ensembles and regularly tours, performing traditional and contemporary taiko music. Endo is also the first non-Japanese national to recei ...

Equipment

Mark Miyoshi, one of Denver Taiko's founders, led the process for the group's first homemade drum. The group has also received drums as gifts from Osuwa Daiko and the Ogden Taiko Group.

Tri-State Denver Buddhist Temple

Denver Taiko has had a strong relationship with the Tri-State Denver Buddhist Temple since the group relocated to the temple in 1976. In the first years of the group, nearly 80% of the group's musicians were also members of the Denver Buddhist Temple. The temple provided storage and practice facilities for the ensemble and Denver Taiko served as an effective method for spreading interest in the Denver Buddhist Temple, Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, and

Japanese American are Americans of Japanese ancestry. Japanese Americans were among the three largest Asian Americans, Asian American ethnic communities during the 20th century; but, according to the 2000 United States census, 2000 census, they have declined in ...

culture.

Organization and Rehearsals

Denver Taiko uses a consensus-based system, and members select two practice leaders who lead rehearsals for one month at a time before turning over the responsibility to another pair of members. Joyce Kim served as the group's primary leader starting in 1976, and Aiko Kimura took over Kim's role in 1986. In 2011, Denver Taiko became a

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non-profit organization. Today, the group has a board of non-taiko members and appointed Denver Taiko members officers that help with team logistics such as maintaining equipment, tracking finances, and arranging performances.

Influences

In 1978,

Seiichi Tanaka is the first Japan-trained teacher of kumidaiko, or taiko, in the United States and is largely regarded as the father of the art form in North America. Early life Tanaka was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1943 and immigrated to the United States in 19 ...

, of

, came to Denver to offer the group a workshop on form and stance. Kinnara Taiko from

has taught Denver Taiko a piece and shared the Buddhist philosophy in respect to taiko. San Jose Taiko was instrumental in the group's organization and code of ethics. On Ensemble, Yoshikazu Fujimoto and Yoko Fujimoto of

Kodo __NOTOC__ Kodo may refer to: Japan * ''Kōdō'' (香道), ceremonial appreciation of incense * Nippon Kodo (日本香堂), an incense company * Kodō (taiko group) (鼓童), a ''taiko'' drumming group * Kodo-kai (弘道会), a yakuza criminal o ...

have been influential in the group's musical development. Still, Denver Taiko prided itself on being a largely self-taught group. Today, a third of the pieces that Denver Taiko performs regularly are adapted from pieces that other groups play. The remaining two thirds, are original compositions. In 1984 Denver Taiko went on a two-week tour to

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

to visit a number of ensembles including

, Gojingo, Tenri; and Oedo Sukeroku. This was an opportunity to not only meed and learn from a few of the prominent taiko groups in

, but for most Denver Taiko members, it was the first visit to their ancestral homeland. During the summer of 2003, the Consulate General of Japan in Denver sponsored a three-week workshop to celebrate 150 years of US-Japan relations. Denver Taiko and the Consulate invited Sensei Yoichi Watanabe, the leader of Amanojaku, and his student protégé, Isaku Kageyama, to lead a series of community outreach events at local elementary schools before leading a four-day workshop for Denver Taiko.

Performances

Denver Taiko primarily performs in the greater Metropolitan Denver area and surrounding cities. Most of the nearly 40 performances a year are for festivals and schools. During the 1980s the group performed several times at Japanese festivals in Albuquerque, New Mexico and St. Louis, Missouri. In 2000, Denver Taiko performed at

Red Rocks Amphitheatre Red Rocks Amphitheatre (also known colloquially as simply Red Rocks) is an open-air amphitheater in the Western United States, western United States near Morrison, Colorado, approximately southwest of Denver. It is owned and operated by the c ...

Morrison, Colorado Morrison is a home rule municipality in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. The population was 396 at the 2020 census. History This small foothills settlement is named after George Morrison (April 16, 1822 – June 11, 1895), a builde ...

before the opening of the film

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon ''Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'' is a 2000 epic romantic drama wuxia martial arts film directed by Ang Lee and written for the screen by Wang Hui-ling, James Schamus, and Tsai Kuo-jung. The film stars Chow Yun-fat, Michelle Yeoh, Z ...

. In 2005, Denver Taiko was invited to perform at the funeral for the American journalist and author, Hunter S Thompson. The group performs full concerts every two or three years, and they host a special anniversary concert every five years.

Japan Relief

Shortly after the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami in northern

, Denver Taiko, along with two other local groups, Mirai Daiko and Taiko With Toni, organized a benefit concert to help with the relief efforts in

. Over 900 people attended the concert that included performances from three local taiko groups, Koto Colorado, and the Tri-State Denver Buddhist Temple Minyo Dancers. This collaborative event made over $20,000 of which 100% of the proceeds were donated to the Northern Japan Earthquake Relief Fund.

Discography

*1999: Ichi Go Ichi E *2011: Tabi: released to commemorate the group's 35th anniversary Approximately two thirds of the songs that Denver Taiko performs on a regular basis are original compositions.

Outreach

Denver Taiko sends representatives to the North American Taiko Conference every two years. The group also hopes to coordinate a workshop for taiko groups in

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

. Denver Taiko has also organized an apprenticeship program since 2008.

Junior Taiko

Denver Taiko also runs a youth ensemble called Junior Taiko for young students to learn taiko. Two former Denver Taiko members Toni Yagami and Nancy Ozaki Tsuchimoto started the youth development group in 1985. Since 1985, the Junior Taiko has grown to over 30 members. The members of Junior Taiko range from third grade students to high school students. The group has weekly rehearsals in the Tri-State Denver Buddhist Temple on Sundays. Junior Taiko members do not perform as often as the adult Denver Taiko group, but they do perform on stage occasionally and in festivals such as Sakura Matsuri.

Notes

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External links

Official website of Denver Taiko

References

*"Frequently Asked Questions." Denver Taiko FAQs. Web. 21 Feb. 2012. . *"Interview with Aiko Kimura." Telephone interview. 13 Feb. 2012. *"Interview with Ian Berve." Personal interview. 9 Feb. 2012. *"Interview with Joyce Nakata-Kim." Telephone interview. 19 Feb. 2012. *"Interview with Toni Yagami." Telephone interview. 14 Feb. 2012. *Asakawa, Gil. "NIKKEI VIEW: The Asian American Blog." Colorado Taiko Groups Drumming up Support for Japan Relief Efforts with a "Give What You Want" Concert Sat. March 26. 21 Mar. 2011. Web. 21 Feb. 2012. . Japanese rock music groups Japanese-American culture in Colorado Taiko groups