KyoShinDo – Taiko Do – Echo of the Soul (Arc Music, 2020)
Japanese percussion ensembles (taiko drumming) have been fascinating international audiences for years. This has led to the creation of taiko groups outside of Japan, trained by Japanese masters. The album Taiko Do – Echo of the Soul, produced by multi-instrumentalist and composer joji Hirota, was recorded by excellent Italian taiko ensemble and karate masters KyoShinDo.
As skilled drummers and karate experts, KyoShinDo add a distinct approach to taiko drumming on stage. KyoShinDo were trained by Kurumaya Masaaki, proponent of the mitsuuchi style, and Joji Hirota as well.
“I met the group in 2003 when they came to see my concert at Genoa’s Mediterranean Music Festival,” says Joji Hirota. “I have been teaching them for over ten years in the techniques of both traditional and contemporary Japanese taiko music. Their skills as karate experts adds a unique flavor to the technique I teach: taiko with a martial arts touch.”
KyoShinDo live the taiko drummer life: they make the drums they play andreside and practice in their dojo (martial arts training facility) in the heights of the Ligurian Apennines.
The lineup on the album includes Mirco Taddei on horagai conch shell, miyashime-okedo taiko set, gong; Stefano Parisi on Oh daiko; Chiara Parisi, Laura Bertolino, Giulio Venturini, Silvia Cartechini and Giustino Caiazzo: miya-shime taiko set; and Joji Hirota on miya-shime taiko set, gong, hyoshigi, and shakuhachi.
Buy Taiko Do – Echo of the Soul
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.