Sansei Sounds

March 24, 2012

San Jose Taiko photo by X2 Digital Photography

With its iconic “fat drums,” San Jose Taiko is easily one of the South Bay’s most recognizable and popular cultural arts organizations, wowing audiences since 1973. Each time they play here, this internationally recognized group fills the theater with sound, color and physicality in a spectacular show of drumming and dance. Renowned for a uniquely sansei, or third generation Japanese-American, style, San Jose Taiko blends ancient Japanese rhythms and movement with African, Balinese, Brazilian, Latin and jazz percussion and contemporary dance. Troupe members not only perform, but also compose, choreograph, costume, even handcraft the drums in this art form which celebrates harmony.

For more information about San Jose Taiko, please visit the artists' websites, www.taiko.org.