Taiko ART Legacy directed by multi-instrumentalist and media artist Tatsu Aoki marks Tsukasa Taiko’s 23rd-year journey with two concerts and a Kabuki music workshop at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.
The multi-generational ensemble Tsukasa Taiko anchors the traditional musical relationship between shamisen, dance, and taiko. The often overlooked melodic capacity of the taiko is unattainable without a
thorough awareness of the origins and craft of the traditional Japanese music. This ensemble
performance explores the concept using original compositions and arrangements rooted in a broad
range of musical styles including: ozashiki (geisha chamber music), minyo (folk music), ohayashi (classical/folk/theater music), and matsuri taiko (festival taiko music).
Taiko Legacy’s sixteenth-anniversary presentation took place on Sunday, December 8, 2019 at MCA’s Edlis Neeson Theater. 2019 Taiko Legacy guest artists include Melody Takata and the GenRyu Arts ensemble of San Francisco and three classical music grandmasters from Japan; Chizuru Kineya, Hyakkyou Fukuhara, and Shijuro Tachibana.
Photography by Ken Carl.