Kagemusha Taiko Group create and perform original taiko compositions. The group has played in significant venues in Europe, USA, and Japan, as well as at multiple events in and around their home base in south-west England.
About the Group
Kagemusha Taiko is the main performing group from the company of the same name, established in 1999.
Under the artistic direction of the founder, Jonathan Kirby, membership of the group has evolved over the years, but the basic principle of creating and performing original taiko compositions has remained the same. With occasional nods to taiko from Japan and North America, but also to rock’n’roll and Western European folk music, Kagemusha Taiko has earned a reputation for creativity and originality. Why copy, when there are limitless possibilities to explore?
Kagemusha Taiko has always been more than a performing group. Members all recognise the wide benefits of taiko at both the individual and the community level. For that reason, the group has a long history of bringing people together in joint activities such as the UK Taiko Festival and the European Taiko Conference, and much more besides. Taiko can be really powerful in an education context, hence the group’s work in schools in the UK – and even in Japan!
Jonathan Kirby: Founder & Artistic Director
Photos and Videos
Photos of the group can be found here. Photos are often a much better way than words of saying “about us”.
For videos, please visit the group’s YouTube channel.
The group has been involved in many different projects. Links to “taiko community” projects can be found here, while artistic explorations can be found from the drop-down menu above.
Contact
To get in touch, please email us at: contact@kagemusha.com
Our Values:
- Everything we do is based on four principles: attitude, technique, kata and ki.
- We proceed on a basis of openness and uncompromising integrity, respecting ourselves and each other and behaving in a manner consistent with our taiko principles.
- We believe, and our experience shows, that taiko training and performance can have a beneficial effect on people’s lives. We continually work for positive outcomes.
- We seek to understand and teach the history and traditions of taiko, while building our own tradition here in the UK.
- Taiko is diverse and heterogeneous. It is creative, not defined, prescribed or limited by any authority.
- We strive for excellence. Equally, we believe that taiko is accessible and we endeavour to include everyone.