TAO, the worlds largest Japanese drum and dance ensemble, formed in 1993, will be taking their highly physical, large-scale drumming production TAO: Drum Heart to Santa Monica’s The Broad Stage on Saturday, April 28 at 4:00 pm and 7:30 pm. Audience members can expect high-energy performances, showcasing the ancient art of Japanese drumming, contemporary costumes, precise choreography and innovative visuals. Tao has transfixed approximately seven million audiences in 500 cities in over 24 countries, worldwide. It is hailed as one of the greatest of all Japanese drum productions.
In taiko, the drums range in size from roughly a snare drum (“shime”), to drums as large as a car (the “o-daiko”). The most common drum size in taiko is the “chu-daiko” which is the size of a wine barrel. It is the dynamic playing that separates TAO’s performance from any other. It is played loud, hard, and fast, and all to a choreographed movement that people identify with Japanese martial arts. There are currently more than 8,000 taiko groups in Japan.
The Chicago Tribune calls TAO, “Extraordinarily talented percussion artists…The crowd was unmistakably wowed.” The Herald adds, “[TAO] is supernaturally fit and superbly trained…stunning.”
In 2018, DRUM TAO has 241 night-time performances, called “Mangekyo” in Tokyo for tourists from around the world and is supposed to have a year-round show in Tokyo from 2019 through 2021.
The artists and performers are known to go through training that would exceed human limitation, and all to bring the true Japanese spirit to the stage. They have their own unique style of music, performance, staging, and entertainment which always exceed the public’s expectations of Japanese drumming.
TAO’s home is located in the middle of Aso – Kuju National Park and is surrounded by nature. It is a fully-equipped space that includes a theatre, training room, spa, guest house, and recording studio. TAO’s music and harmonies continue to be created at TAO’s home for the world entertainment field.
