At the Walt Disney Concert, the drummers, dancers, and guest performers came together for an invigorating show that will not be soon forgotten.
By John Lavitt
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 07-22-2025
On Saturday, July 19, 2025, TAIKOPROJECT celebrated its 25th anniversary with an unforgettable, pulse-racing concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The Los Angeles-based ensemble offered more than just music. Indeed, together, they created something primal. It was nothing less than a timeless celebration of rhythm, movement, and community that stretches back hundreds of thousands of years. After all, culture began with drumming and dancing around a prehistoric fire.
Founded in 2000 in Little Tokyo, TAIKOPROJECT has long redefined taiko, merging traditional Japanese drumming with contemporary American sounds and genres. At the WDCH, Saturday’s performance was no exception. The group’s powerful display of drumming, koto, vocals, marimba, and shinobue struck a profound chord, evoking the ancestral memory of humans gathered around a fire, dancing, drumming, and storytelling. This was not simply a concert. It was a call back to when rhythm first became language, and movement became memory.
At the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the 25th anniversary of the TAIKOPROJECT also served as a dual celebration. It was a live release for their fourth studio album, 25, and their collaborative EP with Quetzal, Concrete Saplings. These new works formed the backbone of the program, blended with rarely performed material from past collaborations. Each piece felt freshly relevant, deeply rooted, and boldly innovative.
A standout moment was when multi-instrumentalist Sumie Kaneko showcased the delicate beauty of the shamisen and koto amid the rhythmic chaos. Her vocals brought emotional depth, connecting the cultural significance of tradition with innovation. With each note, she demonstrated a rare ability to honor the past while creating a new sound identity.
At its core, the performance evoked something elemental. Before there were cities, screens, and studios, there was fire. Around that fire, early humans danced and drummed, possibly as long as 400,000 years ago. These acts likely served as tools for communication, cohesion, and ritual. TAIKOPROJECT’s concert honored that legacy with force, grace, and authenticity.
The coming together of drum and dance was more than just a visual display. It created a connection. These performances brought people together in the same way ancient communities once gathered — to experience something greater than themselves. This is the heart of taiko. It doesn’t just entertain; it remembers.
Indeed, TAIKOPROJECT’s 25th anniversary concert was more than just a milestone. The performance was a realization of a modern ritual, alive with history, collaboration, and a sense of hope.
