Dong. Dong. Dong. Dong.
Those words probably danced for days in the heads of participants of a Taiko drum workshop held Saturday afternoon.
About 30 people participated in the workshop from as young as five right up to senior years.
Eileen Kage a taiko drummer from Vancouver with more than 30 years experience led the workshop.
“Taiko means big drum. It’s a form (of drumming) developed in Japan, originally came from China and morphed into the form it is known in Japan called Taiko. Traditional form used in ceremonies, ritual and festivals for hundreds of years. It became a musical stage performance form in a musical sense sometimes in the late 50s,” she explained.
The group learned different ‘notes’ such as dong, which is a single beat in the middle of the drum. They also learned proper form so as to avoid injury.
By using the gravity to pull the arm down it decreases risk of injury and fatigue.
Kage, now proudly in her 50s, started playing Taiko in high school.
She remembers the first group she watch perform was a Taiko group from San Francisco.
“These women were playing, jumping around. They looked like they were having such a good time.”
She joined a group a few years later when they were looking for new members.
She’s played the Taiko drum all over the world including Europe, across Canada and the U.S. and studied Taiko in Japan.
Her current group is called Onibana Taiko a trio including members Leslie Komori and Noriko Kobayashi.
Onibana is a type of flower that grows in grave sites in Japan.
“We are similar to that we strive to find lightness in a dark place.”
By the end of the workshop the group had created a four section piece and learned several different notes.
“It’s been great being here. We’ve really enjoyed it,” Kage said.
The workshop was part of a larger event that included a harvest dinner and performance by Onibana Taiko.
Close to 100 people came to the performance.
The event was free for participants and was organized by Laurel Irons and a team of volunteers. The event was funded through a Neighbourhood Small Grant administered through the Community Foundation South Okanagan Similkameen.
