Event

St. Louis Osuwa Taiko

Part dance, part athletic demonstration, but mostly percussion-centered music, Taiko is a traditional Japanese musical form. Modeled after Grandmaster Daihachi Oguchis original Osuwa Daiko, St. Louis Osuwa Taiko was founded here by Oguchi-sensei himself thirty years ago on a visit from Suwa, Japan, and is one of only a few Taiko groups in the Midwest. The group performs an eclectic mix of traditional and original Taiko, featuring flute and violin as well as percussion; theyre most notable as a permanent feature of the annual Japanese Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden, where they amaze and delight thousands every year. In October 2015, they opened for the nationally-touring On Ensemble here at The Focal Point, and they appeared here as headliners last summer, just prior to the release of their latest CD, Misotose. We couldnt be more pleased to welcome them back!

Opening performance:
STL Okinawa Eisa is an Okinawan drumming group that performs the unique festival style drumming known throughout Okinawa, a small southern island of Japan. While Japan is widely known for the large taiko drum performances, Okinawan drumming is steeped in its own unique style, born from the Ryukyu Kingdom. Eisa performances are performed throughout the island of Okinawa during Obon season, to honor ancestors and magnify the well-known joy and happiness of the Okinawan people. Eisa is a powerful part of Okinawan culture and the STL Okinawa Eisa group works under the tutelage of Luck Group, a world renown Okinawan Eisa group, to harness the authenticity of Okinawan culture in order to share it with everyone and share in the feeling of pure Okinawan joy. The STL Okinawa Eisa group formed in 2014 and has up to 20 members representing 3 generations. The group has primarily performed at the Missouri Botanical Gardens Japanese Festival, and has begun to perform at different venues throughout St. Louis area.