Hi Edubloggers,
Since last January, I have been talking about Taiko and it’s origin and playing styles. Today I will be talking about different Taiko groups in America. If you read the title, you know that the subject is about a group called Hawaii Matsuri Taiko and Somei Taiko (ハワイ祭太鼓＊疎明太鼓.)
The first Group (Hawaii Matsuri Taiko,) was established in 1984 by Faye Komagata or known by HMT players as Mrs. K. Hawaii Matsuri Taiko was the first Kumi Daiko (ensemble drumming) group to perform year round in Hawaii. The activity was originally intended as a activity for the Kaala Nippongo Gakuen at Wahiawa Ryusenji Soto Mission, where her husband, was a minester.
The group strived and encouraged the spreading of taiko groups in Hilo, (Taishoji and Puna Taiko) Kona, (Kona Daifukuji Taiko and Hui Okinawa Kudobuto) Maui, (Maui Taiko,) Honolulu, (Kenny Endo Taiko Ensemble and Hyaku Sen Ki Kai “PBA Taiko” and Aiea (Somei Taiko and Ryugen Daiko.) Faye Sensei navigated her group to fame after multiple tours to the mainland and Japan encouraging other sense is to offer knowledge to her piers. She sadly handed down controls to her son and step-daughter in 2015 because of pancreatic cancer.
Talking about Faye Sensei’s son, Shuji Komagata, a Aiea minester, police chaplain, and Taiko enthusiast is the current head Sensei of Hawaii Matsuri Taiko and Somei Taiko, the Group established in Aiea cofounded with his wife, Jaymie Komagata. Rev. Shuji extends the knowledge, precision, culture, and playfulness of Somei Taiko after learning from masters such as Kenny Endo, Chizuko Endo, Seiichi Tanaka, Marco Lienhard, PJ Hirabayashi, and Roy Hirabayashi. The group practices every Sunday housing people of interest and skill from Children all the way to seniors. To this day, Somei Taiko is one of the best performance groups you could request.
Bye,
Hmschad