Downright thunderous, the sound from the drums echoed across the lawn. Their hands gripped firmly onto the sticks. Yelling to each other in encouragement, the players pounded mightily with powerful snaps of the wrist.
Passersby looked upon them curiously. This was Umi Daiko, Cal State Long Beach’s taiko club, enjoying their weekly practice.
Taiko, which translates to “big drum” in Japanese, has been a part of Japanese culture for hundreds of years.
Lauren Uyeno, a junior pre-nursing major and the group’s instructor, said taiko originated as a way to send messages from village to village. Akin to how medieval towns lit fire towers, Japanese villages used thunderous sounds of taiko to signal tidings such as war.
Nearly three decades ago, Japanese musical group Kodo popularized taiko as a form of ensemble drumming. Players beat on drums rhythmically, often to the accompaniment of flutes and cymbals.
Since then, taiko has found its way to U.S. shores. In San Francisco, Grandmaster Tanaka Sensei founded the San Francisco Taiko Dojo, which is considered the oldest taiko group in America. Buddhist congregations in Southern California eventually formed their own taiko ensembles.
Uyeno, who has been playing taiko for more than 10 years, started off at the Orange County Buddhist Church in Anaheim.
“I just remember going to Japanese festivals and seeing the drummers out on stage and I’ve always wanted to play like that,” Uyeno said. “Once I got to the right age, I was able to play, and I’ve loved it ever since.”
Uyeno and a CSULB alumus formed Umi Daiko two years ago.
“It’s called ‘Umi Daiko,’ which means ‘beach taiko.’ That was the consensus of everybody in our group as the theme of our name,” said Kevin Chan, a junior communications major and the director of the club.
For now, the group plays on makeshift taiko — affectionately known as “bucket taiko.” Members take buckets found in hardware stores and wrap packaging tape over the opening tightly. Chan said the practice drums had cost around $12.
Genuine Japanese taiko are sold at much higher prices. A small shime daiko, usually measuring around a foot in diameter, can easily go for $400 and up. The largest, full-sized odaiko cost more than $10,000.
Uyeno said genuine taiko are so expensive because traditionally, the drums are made from single hollowed-out tree trunks. American taiko are often made from wine barrels for their cheaper production costs.
Taiko is unique not only because of its ensemble configuration, but because it is physically demanding.
“We have to go through a lot of stamina,” Chan said. “There are certain stances that you have to do. There are certain styles of taiko that we learn.”
Despite the nature of taiko, practitioners are usually hooked.
For Hector Passi, a junior pre-nursing major and Umi Daiko member, his first exposure to taiko was inviting.
“From there I was like, ‘Oh well, that’s really interesting!’ ” Passi said. “I was a freshman and I wanted to do as many fun things as possible because in high school I didn’t do much.”
Uyeno said she sees taiko as a passion.
“I feel proud of all the years I’ve spent playing,” Uyeno said. “It’s really grown into a spiritual thing for me now. When I was little it used to be just something for fun, but now it’s like I play for my friends, I play for my family, I play for my heritage.”
As for Chan, he feels taiko serves as more than an art.
“I’m full Chinese, and taiko is a Japanese thing. I just find being onstage performing and meeting all different people — I think it creates a sense of bond between everybody,” Chan said.
The six-member Umi Daiko has performed for events on campus and at the Intercollegiate Taiko Conference. Practices will be held next to the Walter Pyramid at 3:30 p.m. every Tuesday this semester.