Japanese Drumming and Folkloric Arts at Spurlock Museum

Ho Etsu Taiko Concert

Japanese Drumming and Folkloric Performing Arts at Spurlock Museum
The ancient legacy of taiko drumming and traditional arts of Japan will be highlighted in a performance by Wariki, Tiffany Tamaribuchi, and Ho Etsu Taiko on Saturday, May 4th, 7PM at the Spurlock Museum, located at 600 S. Gregory Street, Urbana, IL. Presented by Robert E. Brown Center for World Music and Japan House, this concert supports the first American Midwest appearances of Wariki, a virtuoso father-son performing arts duo from Japan who weave elements of traditional music, dance, drumming and folklore into tapestries of sound and movement. For this special evening performance, Akira Katogi and Raiya Katogi of Wariki are joined by renowned Sacramento-based taiko artist and teacher Tiffany Tamaribuchi and the Chicago-based percussion ensemble Ho Etsu Taiko. This event is open to the public and admission is free. For more information, please visit http://dev.cwm.illinois.edu
Wariki will also make an appearance that day between 1:30-3:30pm at Japan House as part of the Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month AsiaFest Celebration. Organized by the Asian American Cultural Center at the University of Illinois, AsiaFest is a large pan-Asian celebration showcasing the rich diversity within Asian cultures. Please call (217) 333-9300 or e-mail aacc@illinois.edu for more information.
Biographical Information
Wariki is a combination of two Japanese traditional folk entertainers. Akira Katogi was trained as a child in traditional Japanese dance as part of renowned artist collective Warabiza. Before forming his own touring ensemble, he was a member of taiko group Ondekoza. His son Raiya Katogi joins him in Wariki to create art grounded in Japanese tradition. Wariki weaves elements of music, dance, drumming and folklore into a rich tapestry of sounds and spirits to create performances that fulfill the meaning of their group’s name -Wariki, the power of harmony. This is Wariki’s first visit to the American Midwest.
Tiffany Tamaribuchi founded the Jodaiko women’s taiko ensemble in 1988 and the Sacramento Taiko Dan in 1989. Winner of the 2002 Otaiko Hibike All-Japan Odaiko content, Tiffany is an internationally recognized taiko teacher and artist who has toured internationally with many Japanese and North American professional taiko groups, including Ondekoza, the Hanayui Ensemble of Kodo, Imafuku Yu & Yui, Shidara, San Francisco Taiko Dojo and Taikoza.
Chicago-based Ho Etsu Taiko brings passionate energy and lively spirit to the rich tradition of taiko. Their bright, energized sound infuses taiko’s cultural legacy with new vitality and bridges the tradition with fresh experiences and influences. Ho Etsu Taiko has performed throughout Chicago and the Midwest, with notable appearances at the University of Chicago’s Logan Center for the Arts, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Chicago Cultural Center.