Japan’s renowned taiko player Ryutaro Kaneko, left, will join a TAIKOPROJECT concert this summer. Seen are TAIKOPROJECT’s Masato Baba, center, and Bryan Yamami. (Courtesy of TAIKOPROJECT)
TAIKOPROJECT, America’s leading taiko ensemble, returns to Little Tokyo in Los Angeles this summer with a ground-breaking outdoor concert showcasing their exciting new collaborative work with Japan’s renowned taiko player Ryutaro Kaneko.
On June 25 at 2 pm & 7:30 pm, TAIKOPROJECT performs in “Rhythmic Relations 2011” at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center’s plaza at 244 South San Pedro Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012, along with their affiliate groups Bombu Taiko, Kitsune Taiko, and Loma Pacific Taiko.
Tickets are $30 and $35. For tickets, call (213) 680-3700 or visit www.jaccc.org. Premium seating packages are available.
This program is supported by Los Angeles County Arts Commission; City of Los Angeles, Department of Cultural Affairs; Alliance for California Traditional Arts, and TAIKOPROJECT’s BaseBeat donors.
Ryutaro Kaneko is considered a living legend in the taiko world, having been a member of the world-famous KODO ensemble from 1987-2006. During his time with KODO, he toured to 32 countries and as one of the central artists, performed in over 300 concerts.
He has performed in the world’s most prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall, New York City; the Acropolis, Athens, Greece; Sadler’s Well, London; Theatre de la Ville, Paris; the Berlin Philharmonic Hall, Germany; and at the 100th Anniversary of the Nobel Peace Prize Awards, Oslo, Norway.
With KODO, he recorded 17 albums, many of which are considered the best taiko recording ever made. He wrote numerous compositions during his time with KODO, and some of them are still being played today.
He also pioneered two of the most influential taiko styles today, chappa (Japanese hand cymbal) playing in accompaniment to taiko, and katsugi okedo (sling drum), and continues to lead workshops and classes in both styles all over the world. Since 2007, he has toured as a solo artist throughout Japan, Africa, and with this performance, the U.S.
TaikoProject will bring "Rhythmic Relatiions 2011" to Little Tokyo on June 25. (Courtesy of TAIKOPROJECT)
The creative work developed between TAIKOPROJECT and Ryutaro Kaneko started two years ago when TAIKOPROJECT’s managing director Bryan Yamami was asked by its artistic director Masato Baba, “If you could work with any taiko player in the world, who whould it be?” Thinking back to his early taiko days, the answer was easy.
Ryutaro Kaneko was the first and only name to come to mind. In the late 1990s, before he formed TAIKOPROJECT, Yamami saw KODO perform at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles, and was mesmerized by the group’s concert. In particular, he found Kaneko’s deft performance on chappa and katsugi okedo just spectacular.
To this day, KODO remains a strong influence and inspiration on TAIKOPROJECT’s work. But as Yamami says, “If someone would have told me back in 1997 that someday I’d be performing alongside Kaneko fourteen years later, I’d think they were crazy.” He adds, “Now that it is happening, I still think it’s crazy!”
The collaborative work developed will show a wide range of creative exchange at its debut in the Rhythmic Relations 2011 concerts. Kaneko will perform a solo work, demonstrating his great skill and technique developed over decades of intensive work with KODO. As the pioneering force in chappa playing, he will lend his talents to guest perform on chappa with TAIKOPROJECT in Baba’s “Tsuki E” (To the Moon), a festive, dance-influenced song composed in 2010.
Kaneko also wrote a song “Unkai” (Cloud Sea), to be performed by TAIKOPROJECT and Kaneko, inspired by flying over mountaintops and seeing a sea of clouds beneath you. Kaneko is also remixing one of TAIKOPROJECT’s song, “Seiza” (Constellations), which blends the soulful sounds of the yokobue (bamboo flute) with the sublime melodies of the koto.
Finally, rounding out the various types of music collaboration possible, TAIKOPROJECT’s directors Yamami and Baba will be remixing Kaneko’s “Bird Island,” a high-energy staple in the KODO repertoire.
