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Our next performance is a TAIKO 2.0 concert with Kenny Endo at the San Luis Obispo performing arts center.  It’s always fun and inspiring to play with Kenny and his contemporary ensemble which features Eien Hunter-Ishikawa on vibraphone, Kaoru Watanabe on flutes and Charlene Huang on violin.  It should be a great performance.  Come check it out if you are in the area:

Kenny Endo and On Ensemble TAIKO 2.0
Friday, October 14th  8:00pm
Christopher Cohan Center
1 Grand Avenue
San Luis Obispo,  CA  93407

Our next performance is a very special performance: ‘InventiOn 2011′ where will be debuting three new pieces made possible by our creative residency at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center.  Our time at the JACCC has been great and has allowed us to focus more of our creative energy toward the creation of new work.  We’ll also be featuring a special guest artist Bharata Natyam dancer Anusha Kedhar.  If you are in the SoCal area come check it out this Saturday October 8th at the Armstrong Theater in Torrance, CA.

Armstrong Theatre
3330 Civic Center Drive, Torrance
(310) 781-7171
www.torrancearts.org

We are excited about being a part of the the 2011 Ojai World Music Festival!  We’ll be leading hands on Taiko workshops as well as performing two sets on Saturday October 1st.  The entire festival line up can be found at the Ojai World Music Festival website.

We’re performing a FREE concert this Saturday August 27th at 7:00pm presented by the Canta Clarita Performing Arts Center at Richard Rioux Park!  Come check it out if you are in the area!

On Ensemble is headed to the North American Taiko Conference this weekend! All four of us will be leading workshops and discussion sessions and Kris is helping organize the conference as the assistant conference organizer. Should be a great weekend of taiko!

The Japanese American Cultural and Community Center will hold a hope and memorial service on Thursday, March 17, for victims of the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The interfaith service and community gathering will begin at 6:30pm at the JACCC Plaza at 244 South San Pedro Street in downtown Los Angeles. The service will be open to the public and there will be representatives from Japan disaster relief funds for individuals who wish to make a contribution.

Graphation Film Festival No. 1 Trailers from Graphation on Vimeo.

Yamasong is screening at the Graphation Film Festival at 8:00pm on Thursday March 16th at the Hive Gallery! There will be a Q/A panel with myself and Sam after the screen then a showing of one of the Jim Henson masterpieces that inspired Yamasong, The Dark Crystal!

Graphation @ the Hive
Thursday, March 17th, 8:00pm
The Hive Gallery and Studios
729 S. Spring St.
Los Angeles, CA

Kaoru Watanabe

TAIKO 2.0 at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts is coming this Saturday March 12th!  Today we are highlighting Brooklyn based flute and taiko player Kaoru Watanabe.  Kaoru was born into a musical family, both of his parents play with the St. Louis Symphony.  He’s a graduate of the Interlochen Arts Academy  and the Manhattan School of Music.  He got his start playing taiko in St. Louis then later with the New York based group Soh Daiko.  In 1998 Kaoru moved to Sado Island to become an apprentice with Kodo.  He became the first American to become a performing member of Kodo and spent six years touring around the world with the ensemble.  In 2005 he become Artistic Director of Earth Celebration, Kodo’s annual world music festival held in Sado every summer.  In 2006 Kaoru left Kodo for New York City and has quickly become one of the most sought after fue and taiko players in North America.