Taiko is at once a hobby, a skill, a challenge and a community. Rhythm, movement, enthusiasm and dedication are the qualities that bring the members of The Venice Japanese Community Center's Koshin Taiko together.

Our members feel that a performance is successful only if we can pass the lively, festival spirit of Taiko onto every member of our audience.

Sensei Etsuo Hongo has directed the group since 1992. The infectious and driving rhythms of his compositions and the fluid movements of his choreography have become the easily recognizable basis of our style. Hongo Sensei has written several pieces for Koshin attempting to capture and accentuate the lively spirit of the members. The spirit of Koshin is unique and Hongo Sensei expresses our uniqueness in every composition.

Koshin¹s bright red drums are also unique to the group. Taut ropes stretch rawhide heads across the wooden cylinder drum bodies. While this style, called Okedou in Japanese, is a common accent to many Taiko groups, Koshin is the only group in the U.S. to use these drums exclusively. The bright colors and springy timbre of these drums make them an apt instrument to convey our energy and spirited sound.

If you want to learn more about Taiko and Koshin Taiko in particular, please visit our website at:

http://www.koshintaiko.org