Maui Taiko

Maui Taiko, established in 1996, is a non-profit charitable corporation organized to perpetuate traditional Japanese folk songs and dances of the Buddhist O-Bon festival and to promote taiko (Japanese drumming) music. Maui Taiko plays the traditional Japanese folk song, Fukushima Ondo, at many O-Bon festivals and cultural events on Maui.

Japanese immigrants, from Fukushima prefecture, brought this song to Maui in the early 1900's. Many of the immigrants lived in the plantation village of Keahua and organized and informal group to play Fukushima Ondo for the annual )'Bon festival. In the "good old days", the group played the song for hours and people danced from sunset to early morning. Friends, relatives, and visitors of all ages, nationalities, and religions came to attend this annual festival.

On Maui, as the plantation villages were being closed, these O-Bon festivals moved to various Buddhist temples. The uniqueness of these festivals in Hawaii is it's attraction as a cultural gathering similar to the days of plantation village life. The festivals continue to be celebrated by many generations of families of various ages, nationalities, and religions. The music tradition at these O-Bon festivals has however changed. Most of the songs are pre-recorded however, Fukushima Ondo is still performed live.

The informal taiko group that existed in Keahua has continued for nearly a century through five generations of the Watanabe family. The family founded Maui Taiko with the intent of perpetuating the Fukushima Ondo tradition and incorporating other forms of taiko music. Albert Watanabe, age 77, one of the group's founders is from the third generation of Watanabe family members involved with this tradition His daughters and 11 year old grandson continue the tradition for future generations.

The current group includes 24 members ranging in age from 8 to 77. Members are encouraged to join the group with other family members. There are mothers and daughters, mothers and sons, brothers and sisters, and entire families in the group. The group is also multi-ethnic and diverse in religious beliefs. When the group was first formed, its priority was to have an inventory of drums to play on. With genuine taiko from Japan costing $3,000 - $5,000 apiece, the group had to look to other sources for their instruments. There was no one on Maui that knew how to build a taiko or skin in (tacking the cow hide to the barrel). Group members learned the craft of preparing the body of the drum out of used wine barrels from groups in California. In addition, they learned how to skin these barrels from various other individuals, improving on the methods along the way. Maui Taiko has been able to assist numerous temples on Maui to re-skin their decades old authentic taiko. The group members' involvement in the construction of these drums, further their appreciation for the instruments.

Maui Taiko's performance schedule includes 16 bon dances at 10 different temples and three bon dances at elderly care homes during the summer. Throughout the year, the group also performs at numerous cultural and community events. In 1999, the group performed as the pre-concert entertainment for a sold-out concert at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center featuring the popular jazz group, Hiroshima, and their guest, Kinnara Taiko. Another memorable performance at the center, Maui Taiko performed with San Jose Taiko in their featured activities on the island of Maui. Maui Taiko's 2001 Aloha Tour to Japan, sponsored in part by the Hawaii Tourism Authority, showcased the group at performances in southern and northern Japan. A thousand spectators attended the Nichibei Taiko Festival in Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture featuring Maui Taiko along with four other taiko groups in a 3 hour long concert. Traveling 800 miles to northern Japan, Maui Taiko were guest performer, along with Uneme Taiko, at The Beautiful Fukushima Future Expo in Sukagawa which culminated the 11 day tour. In late 2001, Maui Taiko was instrumental in producing a joint concert with The Chikuzan Takahashi Shamisen Group from Niigata, Japan. In 2002, the group sponsored the Maui International Drums for Peace concert, incorporating drum music from 5 cultures.  They are the co-founders and sponsors of the annual Maui Matsuri, Maui's unique version of a Japanese street festival.