Uppsala is a city that, although not very big, holds a lot of events that allow its inhabitants to get in touch with different cultures from around the world. Actually, you would be surprised of the number of events and courses outside of your university’s that you are able to participate here in Uppsala!
As an example, last weekend I had the opportunity to try taiko in a workshop hosted by Taiko Shin Kai, a non-profit organization whose main concern is to promote taiko in Sweden.
Taiko, in case you haven’t heard of it before, is the name given to traditional Japanese drums – actually, the word “taiko” (太鼓) means “large drum” in Japanese – but also you can call taiko to the kind of music that is created with this type of drum.
The appeal of taiko is not just in the music itself, but also in the performance that accompanies it. Usually taiko is played by an ensemble, performing as much musically as with choreographed movements and colorful outfits. This makes taiko really popular during festivals and other happy events in Japan and well as in other parts of the world.
Here I post a video of a taiko concert so you get a better idea of how taiko sounds and looks like.
This kind of event make me very happy to live in a city like Uppsala, where you are able to have a taste of the world that surrounds us, and to escape from everyday life for a moment.
Trying taiko for the first time was a really great experience! If you have the opportunity I’d really recommend giving it a try!
Hope you enjoyed this post and don’t forget to leave a comment.
Have a good day!
Anna
Where i can see this again?
If you look for “Taikio-shinkai Stockholm” then you’ll see their homepage where they post their future performances and also you can look for them on Facebook. Currently they are doing taiko classes in Uppsala every Sunday 🙂