GET AUTHENTIC: THE TAIKO WITH TAKUYA

For our debut episode, we are looking at the Taiko, a Japanese drum that comes in a wide range of sizes. World-renowned Taiko drummer, Takuya Taniguchi, explains how to play three different types of Taiko; the Shime-Daiko, Okedo Daiko and O-Daiko:

• The Shime-Daiko is a smaller drum that produces a high-pitched sound.
• The Okedo-Daiko is slightly bigger and can be tuned with rope, it produces a lower sound than the Shime-Daiko.
• The much larger, more epic-sounding Taiko is called O-Daiko, which takes some force to drum and master.

The sound of the Taiko ranges in dynamics; it can be delicate and soft but also loud and robust, depending on how it is played and what type of Taiko you’re using. It’s an impactful sound that immediately captures the audience’s energy and emotion.

It’s an instrument that requires a lot of physical strength to play and the Taiko’s importance in Japanese culture and history can be seen in a variety of ways; from its use in communication, military action and theatrical accompaniment to religious ceremonies and festivals.

GET TO KNOW TAKUYA

Born in Fuku, Japan and now based in Munich, Germany, Takuya started playing the Taiko at the early age of three and has gone on to become one of the best players in the world!

Notable prizes, ensembles and tours – ‘Viennese World Youth Music Festival’ (2002), accepted into his master’s, Eitetsu Hayashi, ensemble FUUN-NO-KAI (2003), a regular member of the German drum group Drumaturgia and toured around the world with the ‘World Percussion Ensemble’.

TAIKO IN OUR CATALOGUE

Takuya has contributed to two exceptional albums on our Asia Record Collective label, which seeks to capture the dynamic world of music from across the breadth of Asia.

Scroll down to listen to our Japanese albums.

ABOUT THE SERIES

Within our Get Authentic series, we are delighted to be able to highlight some of the remarkable global talents that we work with. Constantly learning from, and inspired by, musical communities, styles, genres and cultures around the world. We work collaboratively with composers, artists, and musicians to create meaningful albums that resonate not only in production quality but reflect the true nature of the inspiration behind them.

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