The taiko, or Japanese drum, has been called the voice and spirit of the Japanese people. In North America, taiko practice first took root during the late 1960s in the large Asian-American communities of San Francisco and Los Angeles, quickly spreading to other cities. Seen here is the first taiko group on the East Coast, established in 1979 at the New York Buddhist Church and taking as its name the pre-Buddhist phrase which means “peaceful, harmonious drums.” Soh Daiko has performed across the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the United Kingdom, and at celebrated venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the American Museum of Natural History, and Radio City Music Hall.
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