Asian Improv aRts Midwest: “Taiko Legacy 21”

AIRMW and Tsukasa Taiko  present with 21st edition of “Taiko Legacy.” The annual “Taiko Legacy” concert rooted is in the traditions of ozashiki (geisha chamber music), ohayashi (classical/folk/theater music), and matsuri taiko (festival taiko music). In the “Taiko Legacy” concerts, performative arrangements of original compositions from Tsukasa Taiko recontextualize the cultural traditions within contemporary ecologies of art, music and theater.

Led by professional taiko artists and the longstanding Gintenkai community performance ensemble from Tsukasa Taiko, “Taiko Legacy 21” also features the next generation youth members who form a vital part of this ongoing legacy. Special guests for this concert include flutist Hyakkyou Fukuhara from Tokyo, and Melody Takata and GenRyu Arts from San Francisco.

Says AIRMW Founder and Artistic Director Tatsu Aoki:  “I grew up playing taiko and shamisen since age 4 and was part of a theatrical performing crew during my adolescence. It was then I developed a life goal to help maintain the traditional aesthetic of the Japanese theatrical Arts and it is with that goal in mind we present the annual Taiko Legacy concerts.”