Group History#
Shima no Taiko is Montreal’s newest taiko (Japanese drumming) group. The group’s main objective is to share their passion for taiko, which has its origins in Japanese culture, by performing pieces from our repertoire using drumming, embodiment, voice, and sometimes audience participation!
This type of expression, recognized as a high-energy form of art, has been passed down over many years at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre in Montreal by exceptional community leaders.
In turn, the members of Shima no Taiko help contribute to the development of this beautiful history by carrying forward the values of kindness, patience, and gratitude. It is with these values, and in the spirit of community, that we cultivate and celebrate our love of taiko!
Follow us on our social networks: @shima.no.taiko
Founding Inspiration#
During the pandemic, we were broken apart and scattered. It took compassion, courage and perseverance to come back together and rebuild the group. Shima no Taiko (The drums of Montreal Island) was born from the post-pandemic need to recover the goodness in ourselves and each other. The bonds we had were strengthened and have now become inseparable. Each beat of our drums is a new link in the unity we have for each other.
Notable History#
We’re just starting out and are looking forward to what the future holds for us. After asking our members, it is clear our first performance at Festival Matsuri in 2024 became an important moment of our history since we played important pieces, such as our very first composition, Naissance, by Fanny Comeau, and Sanya, a piece created by Christiane Chaput that is a significant tribute to the courage of Nagasaki’s Tsue Hayashi and the victims of war.
Future Goals and Values#
Once our new group feels stable enough to take flight, we are definitely looking forward into expanding our reach to the community and for collaboration.
Performance Material Sources#
We work to create our own compositions and play pieces handed down to us by incredible taiko players from Montreal and beyond.
Taiko Community Mentors in the Group#
