TATSU AOKI’S TAIKO LEGACY 14 & REDUCTION 5
TSUKASA TAIKO 21ST YEAR JOURNEY
December 16-17, 2017 || Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
The unmistakable sound of Taiko (Japanese drums), typically heard only at seasonal festivals and temples in Japan, is elevated to a new level on the MCA Stage this year. The fourteenth anniversary performance features two distinct programs and a very special workshop.
TICKETS FOR ALL THREE EVENTS CURRENTLY ON SALE: WWW.TAIKOLEGACY14.COM
General: $20 // Seniors: $15 // Children under 12: $15
TAIKO LEGACY 14 • Sunday, December 17 • 2:00pm
Celebrating over two decades of artist directed performance, Taiko Legacy is a perennial commemoration bringing together professional contemporary and classical performers alongside enduring community members to produce one of the largest Taiko drumming concerts in the Midwest. The melodic depths of the taiko ensemble performance are explored by multigenerational ensemble Tsukasa Taiko, using original compositions and arrangements from a broad range of musical styles including: ozashiki (geisha chamber music), minyo (folk music), ohayashi (classical/folk/theater music), and matsuri taiko (festival music).
This year’s featured guests include Melody Takata and the Gen Ensemble of San Francisco, classical music grandmasters from Japan, Chizuru Kineya, and Takane Umeya, with local grandmaster Yoshinojo Fujima.
BUY TICKETS AT: TaikoLegacy14.BrownPaperTickets.com
REDUCTION 5 • Saturday, December 16 • 7:30pm
Directed by Tatsu Aoki, Reduction is a creative response to the popularity of mainstream taiko drumming, which is stripped of its musical and theatrical elements. This year, Reduction will feature a rare and special debut appearance of traditional Kuruma Ningyo puppetmaster : Koryu Nishikawa V. Performances will incorporate nihon buyo (Japanese classical dance) movements from grandmaster Shunojo Fujima, appearing in inventive combinations accompanied by jazz greats Hamid Drake, Michael Zerang, Nicole Mitchell, Coco Elysses, JoVia Armstrong, Douglas Ewart, and classical music masters Chizuru Kineya, Takane Umeya…and many others.
BUY TICKETS AT: TLreduction5.BrownPaperTickets.com
Special Workshop: The KURUMA NINGYO • Sunday, December 17 • 6:00pm
Limited Space – Register soon! Registration: $25
BUY TICKETS AT: TLkurumaningyo.BrownPaperTickets.com
Nearly 150 years ago in the late Edo Period, Nishikawa Koryu I created Hachioji Kuruma Ningyo, a form of puppet theatre. The puppeteer sits on a small seat with roller wheels (rokuro kuruma) when operating the puppet (ningyo). This strategy allows the puppet and puppeteer to move in unison, providing greater flexibility and realism.
Nishikawa Koryu became the 5th Headmaster (iemoto) of the Kuruma Ningyo troupe in 1996, and has been studying Kuruma Ningyo puppetry since he was 13 years old. For more than fifteen years, he has been performing regularly throughout Japan and the world. Each year, he spends around 100 days on performance tours including the Czech Republic, Sweden, Saipan, Brazil, in far eastern Russia, and the United States.
Taiko Legacy 14 and Reduction 5
Tsukasa Taiko 21th year Journey
Tatsu Aoki’s Taiko Legacy and Reduction
The unmistakable sound of Taiko (Japanese drums), typically heard only at seasonal festivals and temples in Japan, is elevated to a new level on the MCA Stage again. The fourteenth anniversary performance features two distinct programs.
Taiko Legacy 14
Sun, Dec 17 @ 2:00 pm
Celebrating over two decades of artist directed performance, Taiko Legacy is a perennial commemoration bringing together professional contemporary and classical performers alongside enduring community members to produce one of the largest Taiko drumming concerts in the Midwest. The multigenerational ensemble Tsukasa Taiko anchors the traditional musical relationship between shamisen, dance, and taiko. The melodic depths of the taiko ensemble performance are explored using original compositions and arrangements from a broad range of musical styles including: ozashiki (geisha chamber music), minyo(folk music), ohayashi (classical/folk/theater music), and matsuri taiko (festival taiko music). This year’s featured guests include Melody Takata and the Gen Ensemble of San Francisco, classical music grandmasters from Japan, Chizuru Kineya, and Takane Umeya, with local grandmaster Yoshinojo Fujima.
Reduction 5
Sat, Dec 16, 7:30 pm
Directed by Tatsu Aoki, Reduction is a creative response to the popularity of mainstream taiko drumming, which is stripped of its musical and theatrical elements. This year, Reduction will feature a rare and special debut appearance of traditional Kuruma Ningyo puppetmaster : Koryu Nishikawa V. Performances will incorporate the nihon buyo (Japanese classical dance) movements from grandmaster Shunojo Fujima, as well the stylizations of contemporary percussionists, JoVIa Armstrong, Coco Elysses , Jamie Kempkers appearing in inventive combinations accompanied by jazz greats Hamid Drake, Michael Zerang, Nicole Mitchell and classical music masters Chizuru Kineya, Takane Umeya…and many others.
Sun Dec 17 at 6 pm , $25 registration.
Special workshop: the KURUMA NINGYO
Nearly 150 years ago in the late Edo Period, Nishikawa Koryu I created Hachioji Kuruma Ningyo, a form of puppet theatre. It is called “Kuruma Ningyo” because the puppeteer sits on a small seat with roller wheels (rokuro kuruma) when operating the puppet (ningyo). This small seat allows the puppet and puppeteer to move in unison, providing greater flexibility and realism; distinguishing it from Bunraku, in which three people operate a single puppet.
Nishikawa Koryu became the 5th Headmaster (iemoto) of the Kuruma Ningyo troupe in 1996, and has been studying Kuruma Ningyo puppetry since he was 13 years old.
For more than fifteen years, Nishikawa Koryu V has been performing regularly throughout Japan and the world. Each year, he spends around 100 days on performance tours including the Czech Republic, Sweden, Saipan, Brazil, in far eastern Russia, and the United States.
Taiko Legacy / Reduction is a program of Asian Improv aRts Midwest and the Japanese American Service Committee of Chicago and is supported in part by the Illinois Arts Council, the MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, the Alphawood Foundation, CDH. P.C, JCCC Foundation, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The Joyce Foundation and National Endowment for the Arts