Experience the thunderous rhythms of the ancestral Japanese Taiko drums and the magical sounds of the bamboo flutes at the hands of the internationally acclaimed Taikoza drum group. Featuring performances on large ancestral Taiko drum, the program artfully blends its thunderous sound with colorful dances and soulful melodies played on bamboo flutes. Traditional costumes and dynamic motion make Taikoza shows immensely popular with audiences of all ages. The group's sold out shows have received international critical acclaim as a revitalized art form that creates invigorating energy that thrills audiences all over the world. This exciting group draws from Japan's rich tradition of music and performance to create a highly visual performance.

Roughly translated, Taiko means "big drums"—and that's exactly what Taikoza delivers—big drums, powerful rhythms and electrifying, room-thumping energy.

Taikoza was formed in New York City by members of Ondekoza (a performance group that began the renaissance of taiko in Japan during the 1960s, thus introducing taiko to the world).

Taikoza presents a very popular program for schools in the tri-state area for Young Audiences and Symphony Space and recently completed an NEA grant funded tour of Birmingham, Alabama, area schools. Taikoza's new CD has been nominated as best Asian Ethnic Album for the “Just Plain Folks” music award. The drum group has appeared on many television programs such as the History Channel's “History vs. Hollywood,” ESPN's “S.U.M.O: The battle of the Giants” and the NBC’s Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. Taikoza also recently record music for the Nintendo Wii videogame: “Red Steel.”

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