Taiko Nation

Thrilling, heart pounding and joyous percussion are the hallmark of taiko, and the best is in store when the world’s top taiko ensembles and performers converge on L.A.’s Little Tokyo for an exhilarating three-concert event. Hailing from Europe, South America, Japan, Australia and the U.S., these luminary drummers will share the stage for the first time, performing on the world’s largest drums and harnessing their collective passion and energy to create one “Taiko Nation.” The stellar line-up includes TAIKOPROJECT (Los Angeles);Chieko Kojima and Eiichi Saito (KODO); Kaoru Watanabe (Sado, Japan); TaikOz (Sydney, Australia); Kagemusha Taiko (Exeter, U.K.); Taro Kobayashi (Tokyo, Japan); Sen-Rai (Sendai, Japan); the “father of American taiko,” NEA Heritage Fellow Grand Master Seiichi Tanaka (San Francisco), and surprise guest performers who will take to the stage for a bombastic opening collaboration and spectacular closing finale. According to mythology, taiko music was created when a Shinto goddess emptied out a barrel of sake and jumped on the barrel's head, stomping on it furiously to create compelling, percussive rhythms in her attempt to entice the goddess of sunlight from a cave where she had hidden. The other gods could not help but join in, dancing and singing joyously, and Amaterasu brought her light back to the world. Saturday, July 19 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, July 20 at 2 p.m. and at 7 p.m. Aratani/Japan America Theatre, 244 S. San Pedro St., Los Angeles, CA 90012; $30-$35; 213-628-2725 or www.jaccc.org