Soh Daiko | ja

Soh Daiko was formed in 1979 at the New York Buddhist Church as the first taiko group on the east coast, taking as its name the ancient, pre-Buddhist characters meaning “peaceful, harmonious drums.” The name reflects the spirit of dedication and cooperation which enabled the group to flourish from its beginnings.

Operating as a collective, the group received early instruction from many visiting American and Japanese taiko players, and has worked with Sensei Seiichi Tanaka of the San Francisco Taiko Dojo, taiko player and jazz musician Russel Baba, Reverend Ron Miyamura of the Chicago Taiko Group, Reverend Masao Kodani of Kinnara Taiko in Los Angeles, the Tachibana Dance Group of the New York Buddhist Church, and Kodo, the world-renowned taiko group from Sado Island, Japan.

Soh Daiko’s current membership numbers about 12, with diverse backgrounds and professions. The group’s varied repertoire includes traditional compositions from the Shinto music tradition, pieces adapted from existing taiko compositions and original compositions/arrangements by members of Soh Daiko. In addition to drums, the group uses instruments such as the bamboo flute, brass bells, conch shells, gongs, African shekere, and Tahitian toere (wooden slit drum). Much more than mere percussion, Soh Daiko’s presentation also features the visual element of movement and choreography, requiring physical strength, endurance and energy, that makes taiko such an exciting performance experience.

Soh Daiko has received critical acclaim from The New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, and Dance Magazine, and has been featured on Public Television’s Sesame Street and Reading Rainbow, and National Public Radio’s All Things Considered. In the New York area, the group has performed at Carnegie Hall, the American Museum of Natural History, the Japan Society, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. The group has also performed at the Smithsonian Institution’s Festival of American Folklife; the Walker Art Center, Minnesota; the Morikami Museum, Florida; the USA-JAPAN Taiko Festival, San Francisco and Berkeley; and in Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom. The group’s debut recording, Soh Daiko, has been released by Lyrichord Discs. .