SOUND IN MOTION: Portland Taiko is proud to present Los Angeles-based TaikoProject in its Portland debut!

TaikoProject made waves when they became the first American taiko group to win the prestigious Tokyo International Taiko Contest in 2005. Since then, the group has performed with Stevie Wonder, Usher, Alicia Keys, A.R. Rahman, Kanye West, 30 Seconds to Mars, and Quetzal, as well as taiko artists Ryutaro Kaneko and Chieko Kojima. As LA Weekly put it, "This isn't your mama's taiko, but it may be your hip younger cousin's."

Portland Taiko blends the tradition of Japanese taiko drumming with a sense of Asian American identity, creativity, and empowerment. Since its founding in 1994, the group has headlined at arts festivals, released three CDs, and performed for hundreds of community events. Portland Taiko has collaborated with numerous artists including Seiichi Tanaka, Kenny Endo, Hanayui, Obo Addy, Sivagami Vanka, Lawson Inada, Rick Bartow, and Minh Tran.