Eat. Sleep. Taiko.

Taiko drumming is an exciting modern art form with ancient roots. With origins in the religious ceremonies and folk festivals of Japan, modern "kumi-daiko" style emerged starting with the work of a single artist, jazz drummer Daihachi Oguchi in 1951. Spreading rapidly in Japan in the following decades, kumi-daiko has experienced a worldwide renaissance that began in the 1960s and continues to grow today.

Inspired by the lack of taiko at Cherry Blossom Festival in San Francisco, Seiichi Tanaka founded the San Francisco Taiko Dojo, first in the US. Since then Taiko dojos have been developed in LA (1969), San Jose (1973), and by now, hundreds of groups are active all over the continent.

Emeryville Taiko was initiated as an Oakland taiko class for children by Yuri Morita under the guidance of Grand Master Seiichi Tanaka. When Yuri decided to go to Japan, assistant director Susan Horn became instructor. The parents were so enthusiastic about joining in that Susan founded Emeryville Taiko, which is, by the way, a non-profit, registered 501(c)(3) organization.

Senior drum builder Jenny Fuss led workshops in taiko building, resulting in more than 20 drums, all hand-built by Emeryville Taiko members. Members continue to build and maintain drums and equipment. Like most taiko in North America, our large drums are re-purposed wine barrels.

The taiko repertoire is ever-changing. Some songs are recognizable wherever you hear taiko. Friends and members have brought songs from Japan and Brazil. Several songs were written by Sensei or in collaboration, and the senior students contribute to new versions of favorite songs.