Reduction 7 – The Ginten Legacy at Museum Of Contemporary Art Chicago

Taiko (Japanese drum), is typically heard at seasonal festivals and temples all throughout Japan. At the core of Tsukasa Taiko’s artistic and musical vernacular is a more esoteric and theatrical expression of Taiko that is a less frequented and more difficult endeavor with a speculative destination. Notable companions on this journey will include jazz drummer and percussionist Hamid Drake; percussionist, actress, poet and screenwriter Coco Elysses; percussionist JoVia Armstrong, winner of Black Women in Jazz Awards’ 2014 Best Black Female Percussionist of the Year; and, direct from France, special guest drummer and improviser Yuko Oshima. ...

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Taiko (Japanese drum), is typically heard at seasonal festivals and temples all throughout Japan. At the core of Tsukasa Taiko’s artistic and musical vernacular is a more esoteric and theatrical expression of Taiko that is a less frequented and more difficult endeavor with a speculative destination. Notable companions on this journey will include jazz drummer and percussionist Hamid Drake; percussionist, actress, poet and screenwriter Coco Elysses; percussionist JoVia Armstrong, winner of Black Women in Jazz Awards’ 2014 Best Black Female Percussionist of the Year; and, direct from France, special guest drummer and improviser Yuko Oshima.

“Reduction” is a refined response to the popularity of mainstream taiko drumming, a trend which sees taiko stripped of its particular musical and theatrical elements. This year’s presentation features unreleased materials from 1970’s original taiko theater – the Gintenkai in Tokyo, ranging from traditional to modern interpretations of taiko music as an artistic venture. Classical masters Hyakkyou Fukuhara (flute/percussion), Chizuru Kineya (shamisen), Shijuro Tachibana (kabuki dance), lend their deftness to the evening’s presentation.

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